Mistress Mine
by Nightingale1998
Summary: Who am I? Where am I from? Can anyone tell me why the strangest things in life make the most amount of sense to me? Maybe Emma can tell me or maybe I can tell her. Follow Alice on her adventures through Storybrooke, the enchanted forest, and more. Starting from episode 1 season 1.
1. Chapter 1: I'm late!

Hi everyone! I'm really excited to share my new story with all of you. This is a hobby of mine that I like to do so I hope all of you enjoy this story as much as I do. Before we get started just a few things I would like to let you guys know. This is based on Alice in the Wonderland. Now I know there is an OUATIW series but I didn't really agree with it. That series was okay but honestly, it made no sense as a whole. So I'm here to recreate Alice as I imagined her and yes Cyrus will be in this story too. I'm going to keep as close to the different adaptions of Alice as close as I can but I will be putting my own little twist on it. Without further ado, let's begin.

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"_If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn't. And contrariwise, what it is, it wouldn't be, and what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?" _

_\- Alice in Wonderland_

I'm a terrible best friend, and I know it. I'm late, and I don't have a gift to present to a certain birthday girl I know. How terrible can I be? I have one job, and I completely ruin it. How? By being late as I always am to any event. Not to mention that I look like a hot mess right now. First, my plane was delayed, and that meant I missed my connecting flight to Boston. So instead of arriving at 5:30 pm like I was supposed to, I'm currently sprinting to a nearby bakery at 8:35 pm hoping that they're still open. Please let me make it in time just this once.

After a lot of begging that I will never admit to out loud, I finally dragged myself to my best friends apartment. I must look awful compared to everyone else considering the number of stares I'm attracting. At least my outfit is nice. I'm currently wearing a black leather jacket with a white shirt underneath and black pants. I also have on my favorite pair of black boots, and if you guessed that my preferred color is black then you're absolutely right. The only burst of color that I have on is the necklace I'm wearing. It's a simple silver chain with two objects attached to it. One is the word 'wish' written in cursive on a star, and the other is a small bottle. The bottle contains three small red stones inside and by no means can anyone open it. It's my most prized possession. Still, with my messy black curly hair and my pale skin, I must look awful. Especially with the bags under my pale blue eyes due to the lack of sleep I've been getting.

Finally reaching my best friends apartment, I knocked on her door and waited, but nothing happened. I stood outside her door for another five minutes coming to the realization that she probably wasn't even home. It's 9:00 pm I'm exhausted, it's her birthday, and she's working today. On her birthday! I told her not to work today, but does she listen to me? No, because that would be a sin. Honestly you think after two years of knowing Emma Swan I would get used to her shenanigans, but naturally, she's hopeless. It's a good thing for her that I'm as equally as hopeless as she is or else she would be in trouble. In the meantime, I take out the spare key she gave me to get into her apartment. I walk inside and settle down in the kitchen area, taking out the vanilla cupcake and the blue candle I bought for her.

Yeah, I'm a horrible best friend. I couldn't even buy her a cake on her birthday. Congratulation Alice Thorn after two years of friendship you are still as incompetent as ever. I can't even use my amnesia to get me out of this one, but then again, Em would never fall for it because of her superpower. I hate her stupid superpower. It annoys the crap out of me, and she knows it. Oh well, at least she's nice enough to let me slide every once in a while with my little white lies. How she and I ended up being the best of friends is completely astounding to most people given the fact that neither one of us count as outgoing or trusting, but I guess that's why it would make sense for us to stick together. Broken people have to stick together. In this case an amnesiac and a foster care child. At least we're upstanding citizens.

Okay, that's a lie but who would ever imagine that just by looking at us. No one would ever guess that Emma was sent to prison for 11 months and skipped bail before. It's ironic how she's a bail bondswoman now, but it's because of that job, I got the opportunity to meet her. It's pretty hilarious now that I think about it.

Just then I heard the front door being unlocked and I stand up with my hands in the air and a ridiculous pose. I could basically hear Emma's confusion as she realized her lights were on in her apartment, and as soon she enters the kitchen area of her apartment I yell surprise at the top of my lungs. A scream soon follows since I just scared the crap out of her, but she recovers all the same.

"Alice," She lets out as one of her hands moves over her heart. "What the hell."

"What? I can't surprise my best friend on her birthday?" I asked, going over to hug her. I feel her arms go around me to return the hug before letting go. "Plus what kind of friend would I be if I didn't scare you every once in a while."

"Let me think, oh right, a normal friend," Emma tells me as she kicks off her heels to one side.

"Yeah, but there's no fun in that," I explain to her with a shrug. "Hot date?"

"About that…"

"Em, you said you wouldn't work today."

"I know, but you weren't here, so I thought-"

"You would fill the time with one more crook huh?" I interrupted.

"Yeah, but I'm glad you're here Al, I didn't want to spend my birthday alone."

"I know, and I'm sorry I got here so late," I said as I led her to her birthday cupcake. "But I got you something that will hopefully make up for it."

I heard a soft laugh escape Emma as she looks down at the cupcake, "Is that for me?"

"Yup! It's even got a star-shaped candle on it." I tell her as I proceed to light the candle, "Make a wish!"

Emma closed her eyes and blew out the candle, but before I got the chance to ask her what she wished for, the doorbell rang. I looked to Emma with a questioning look on my face, and I asked her, "Are you expecting anyone?"

"No," She said as she got up to check the door. I got up to follow her, and I stood at the entrance to her hallway. Emma wasted no time opening her front door, but from where I was standing I noticed her surprise turn to confusion as she looked down. I assume she found the person who rang her doorbell because I heard her speaking to someone, "Uh... can I help you?"

"Are you Emma Swan?" I heard a childlike voice ask.

"Yeah, who are you?"

"My name's Henry. I'm your son." I hear the kid say before barging into the apartment. Too shocked to stop him, the kid slips right past Emma and stops right in front of me. I'm no better since all I do is look at him. "Hi, who are you?"

"Alice Thorn," I said a bit shocked by the turn of events, "I'm the best friend."

"Oh, nice to meet you," Henry said with a smile on his face before walking past me and into the kitchen. It seemed at that moment my friend had finally snapped out of it because she finally started talking again.

"Whoa, hey, kid! Kid! I don't have a son! Where are your parents?" Well if that ain't the biggest lie I have ever heard in my life. I know for a fact that Emma got knocked up at 18 so by now, the kid is probably 10 years old. When I looked back at Henry, he definitely looked like a 10-year-old kid to me.

"Ten years ago, did you give up a baby for adoption? That was me." Henry explains with a radiant smile on his face. I notice Emma's face drained of all color before looking to me for help. I mouthed the words I got this to her, and she said thank you in return as she fled to the nearby bathroom.

"So I guess it's just you and me then, huh?" Henry asked me.

"I guess so." I muttered under my breath "So kid, how exactly did you find this place."

"It's a trade secret."

"What do you want for it?"

"Do you guys have any juice?"

I stare at the kid for a few seconds after that. All it took was some juice, and he was sold. Here I thought I would have to beat it out of him, and instead, all it takes is some juice. Hey, whatever it takes to get the information we need. A few seconds later and Henry was drinking a tall glass of orange juice.

"So are you finally going to tell me how you knew Emma lives here?" I ask the kid.

"Nope."

"What do you mean, no?"

"You don't think I can be easily be bought by some juice, do you?" Henry asked me with a stupid smile on his cocky little face.

"Why you little cheat," I said when the bathroom door opened up behind me. Emma came walking out of the bathroom and stood beside me with one of her eyebrows raised. I merely shook my head and looked at her kid.

"You know, we should probably get going," Henry told us as he put the now empty glass in the sink.

"Going where?" Emma asked the kid.

"I want you to come home with me," Henry stated before turning to me. "You can come too, Alice."

"Um thanks for the invite," I say under my breath to him, but Emma only glares at me before turning back to the kid.

"Okay, kid, I'm calling the cops," she states as she crosses the room and picks up the house phone.

"And I'll tell them you kidnapped me."

"And they'll believe you because I'm your birth mother," Emma mutters.

"Except for the fact that I can assure them that isn't the case," I speak up from where I'm standing. Henry turned to look back at me with wide eyes. "Yeah you little brat you can't lie now can you?"

"Darn it… I wasn't expecting you" he answered.

"He wasn't going to do that anyway," Emma said out of nowhere.

"Yes, I would have," Henry argued back.

"You're pretty good, but here's the thing. There's not a lot I'm great at in life, but I have one skill. It's called a "superpower." I can tell when anyone is lying, and you, kid, are." Emma said as she began to call the police.

"Wait. Please don't call the cops." Henry begged, "Please come home with me."

"Where's home?" I ask him

"Storybrooke, Maine."

"Storybrooke? Seriously?" Emma asked him. The kid nodded in response, but I still couldn't believe it. What a cheesy name to give to a town. Whoever thought that name up wasn't being very creative, but then again I've heard worse before.

"Alrighty, then." Emma begins "Let's get you back to Storybrooke."

"In a hot pink dress?" I ask her "Guess someone is trying to look classy."

"I'm going to change." She tells me as she walks past both me and the kid to her room. "Give me a minute kid. Al, get in here."

"Hmmm, okay right behind you." I leave the kid where he's standing, and walk to Emma's room where she was waiting for me. Once inside I sat on her bed and she closed the door and moved to her closet. "So you called me here for what reason."

"A small favor actually." Emma starts out with "Actually, you could consider it a birthday present."

"Okay, what do you want," I ask her. She pauses for a few seconds before turning to look at me. It was basically written all over her face about what she wanted me to do.

"Nope, no way."

"You didn't even hear what I had to say."

"You want me to come with you."

"...yes" Emma admitted, and before I could say no, she cut me off by saying, "I run you run, remember?"

"Oh, I hate you." I hissed back at her because there was no way I could say no now. You see we have this saying ever since we first met. The you run I run thing. If one goes, so does the other, and if one gets into trouble, the other one will follow. You have to understand that after years of being alone or being a person without any memories of your past, that kind of does something to you. So Emma and I tend to stick together but not in a clingy sort of way. More like we have each other back.

"Fine I'm coming, but I have a feeling that I'm going to regret this decision."

Sometime later all three of us found ourselves in Emma's small yellow car. I honestly hate this car. It's so cramped in here for me that I barely have any room for my legs. Emma told me the only person I could blame is myself when it came to my height, but I disagree. It can't be my fault that I'm 5'9, I mean my parents must be tall for me to be the height that I am. If only I could remember them. Sadly I can't remember anything before the age of twenty-four. I'm lucky that I remember my own name considering that I wasn't carrying an ID when some random stranger found me.

My train of thought was brought to a halt when Henry's head popped up next to mine. I let out a startled yelp of surprise before rounding on the kid. "Kid, what the heck? Sit back in your seat."

"How come you get to sit in the front," Henry asked me

"Because I'm the best friend."

"So? I'm the kid, and last time I checked the kid trumps the best friend." Henry argued

"Since when," I asked

"Since always." He replied

"Bullcrap."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is. I bet you made that up."

"No, I didn't."

"Liar."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm-"

"Children stop arguing," Emma yelled at us.

"He started it!" "She started it!"

"Well I'm ending it, and you better be sitting with your back to your seat kid," Emma said looking quickly at the rearview mirror. I heard a quiet sorry from Henry before Emma quickly pointed a scowl at me and then returning her attention back to the road.

"What?"

"Really, your arguing with a kid?" Emma asked me with the stupid scowl still on her face.

"It's like you expect better from me."

"You're 26 about to be a 27-year-old woman… yes, I expect better from you."

"Technically we don't even know how old I am," I mumbled.

"You're in your 20's that's enough for you to not get into an argument with a 10-year-old."

"Okay okay Em, sheesh you don't have to bite my head off." I laughed

"If I don't, who will."

"Good point."

"Talking about good points, I'm hungry." Henry interrupted from the back of the car. "Can we stop somewhere?"

"This is not a road trip." Emma tells him, "We're not stopping for snacks."

"Are you serious Emma? Not even for us?"

"Alice!"

"What? I just got off a plane not that long ago. I'm starving and kind of sleepy so I gotta say the kid actually does have a good point. We can at least go through a drive-thru and order some food. I'll even buy since it's still your birthday and I swear I'll even feed the kid."

"No, Alice just wait."

"Gosh darn it Em," I yell at her.

"But why not?" Henry asked.

"Quit complaining, kid. Remember, I could've put your butt on a bus. I still could." Emma reminded him, and I gotta say it's starting to sound like a good idea right about now.

"You know, I have a name? It's Henry."

"Yeah, no one cares kid." as soon as I'm done saying that Emma smacks me really hard on the arm.

"What is wrong with you."

"I'm still pissed off about the trade secret and how he cheated," I admitted. Emma only gave me a confused look while Henry started to laugh from the back seat. After that, the car fell silent once again, but I could see from the corner of my eye that Emma kept peeking at the rearview mirror. Finally, I turned around in my seat to look at what was going on behind me. What I saw was Henry holding a rather large book.

"Nice book you got there kid. What's it about?" I give in and ask him.

"I'm not sure either one of you is ready for this," Henry tells me.

"Ready for some fairy tales?" Emma jokes.

"They're not fairy tales," Henry says in a serious voice. "They're true. Every story in this book actually happened."

"Of course they did," Emma says to humor the kid.

"Use your superpower. See if I'm lying." Henry challenges and it was only then that I realized how serious this kid was about these stories. Maybe it's like the whole Santa Claus is real thing instead, it's with fairy tale characters.

"Just because you believe something doesn't make it true," Emma explains to him but he doesn't seem to accept this as an answer.

"That's exactly what makes it true." Henry argues back, "You should know more than anyone."

"Why's that?" I asked because really what reason could he give us.

"Because Emma is in this book," Henry tells me completely serious.

"Oh, kid. You've got problems." Emma remarked.

"Yup. And you're going to fix them." Henry insisted.

"Hey, Em?"

"Yeah Al."

"How come you get to tell the kid he has a problem, but I couldn't argue with him," I asked her. From the corner of my eye, I saw a small smile form on Emma's face before she told me to shut up. Hey at least I got her to smile after the stressful night she's been having. Hopefully, next year's birthday is better than this one.

We kept driving for what seemed like forever before we finally reached Storybrooke. Honestly, at this point, I just want to drop the kid off at the nearest bus stop and head home. I would have suggested it too if it wasn't for the fact that I'm worried some creep might come and grab the kid as soon as we let him out of the car. No, It's best just to take him straight home and then leave.

"Okay, kid, how about an address?" Emma asked Henry.

"Forty-four, not-telling-you street," Henry replied, and I have to admit I nearly screamed when I heard him say that. Emma, on the other hand, brought the car to a stop and got out slamming the car door behind her. I knew at this point she was probably at her wit's end. I gave Henry a look before getting out the car to calm down Emma.

"Em, you good?" I asked her and I know it's a stupid question, but that was the point. If she gets angry at me, that's better than getting frustrated with the kid who will most likely not help us out in the end. When she gives me an annoyed look one second later, I knew I made the right call.

"Do I look okay to you?" Emma snarked at me in a low enough voice so that only I could hear her, "I'm in a town called Storybrooke trying to drop off my kid at his parent's house when said kid, won't tell me where he lives." I don't bother saying anything, and I just stand there listening to Emma rant. After about a couple of minutes, she finally calms down. I gave her another minute to breathe before speaking again.

"Feel any better?"

"Actually, I feel a lot better, thank you, Al." She tells me before looking a bit sheepish, "By the way, sorry about that."

"Not a problem Em. If I didn't want that response from you, I wouldn't have asked such a stupid question." I assured her, "By the way, since you're done being angry, you might want to ask the kid where he lives."

"Right." Emma said, opening the door on the driver's side, "Look, it's been a long night, and it's almost — 8:15?"

I looked at Emma as if she was stupid because there is no way that it's 8:15. I looked at the nearby clock tower only to be shocked and confused by the time I read. It was 8:15 exactly. Was that stupid clock broken? It must be if it said that it was 8:15.

"That clock hasn't moved my whole life." Henry explained to us as he got out of the car and stood next to Emma, "Time's frozen here."

"Excuse me?" I finally asked, "What do you mean frozen?"

"The Evil Queen did it with her curse. She sent everyone from the Enchanted Forest here."

"Hang on. The Evil Queen sent a bunch of fairytale characters here." Emma asked next.

"Yeah. And now they're trapped." Henry answered back as if he was answering the simplest question he ever heard.

"Frozen in time, stuck in Storybrooke, Maine. That's what you're going with?"

"It's true!" Henry yells at us.

"Then why doesn't everybody just leave?" Good question I wonder what excuse the kid comes up with next.

"They can't. If they try, bad things happen."

"Why am I not surprised," I muttered under my breath, giving Emma a look.

"Henry!" I hear a random man yell out of nowhere. I look to see who yelled the kids' name when I notice an older gentleman with a dalmatian walking towards us. Guessing by the fact that he said the kids' name, he must know Henry. "What are you doing here? Is everything all right?"

"I'm fine, Archie," Henry reassures the older man as he pets his dog.

"Who are these two young ladies?" Archie asked Henry, but Emma decided to answer for him.

"Just someone trying to give him a ride home."

"She's my mom, Archie." Henry explains to him before adding, "And this is her best friend, Alice."

"Hi," I say a bit awkwardly.

"Oh.. I see," he mumbled.

"You know where he lives?" I ask him because quite frankly I just want to get this over with.

"Oh. Yeah, sure, just uh, right up on Mifflin Street. The Mayor's house is the biggest one on the block."

"You're the mayor's kid?" I asked in a high pitch voice.

"Uh. Maybe?" I wanna smack this kid so hard because if he isn't the luckiest kid I ever met. I mean what are the odds.

"Hey. Where were you today, Henry, because you missed our session." Archie asked him.

"Session? What's he talking about kid." I asked Henry.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I went on a field trip." He lies to the older man, and I can't help but feel that he does this often. The sad part is he isn't even good at it. I see Archie crouch down in front of Henry to look him in the eyes.

"Henry, what'd I tell you about lying? Giving in to one's dark side never accomplishes anything." Archie gently explains to him in a soft voice.

"Okay! Well, I really should be getting him home." Emma interrupts him out of nowhere, and I can sense she wants to leave just as much as I do.

"Yeah. Sure. Well, listen—have a good night, and uh, you be good, Henry." After that, the older man finally leaves with his dog trailing right behind him.

"So that's your shrink?" I ask out loud.

"I'm not crazy." Henry insists, but I disagree. Still, I didn't say anything out loud because there was no reason for me to be rude to the poor kid.

"And we didn't say that. Just—he doesn't seem cursed to us. Maybe he's just trying to help you." Emma reasons.

"He's the one who needs help. Because he doesn't know." Henry tells us.

"That he's a fairytale character."

"None of them do. They don't remember who they are."

"Okay, whatever! Can we continue this conversation in the car?" I ask the pair. I'm not sure if they noticed or not, but it's cold out here. Emma gently leads Henry back inside the car, and I sit back down in the passenger seat. After a minute of silence, I hear my best friend let out a soft sigh before looking at me. I shrug my shoulders giving her the okay to ask the next question. If it wasn't because of my own curiosity needing to be sated, I would have told her not to ask, but at this point, we both wanted to know.

"Sounds convenient." Emma starts. "All right. We'll play. Who's he supposed to be?"

"Jiminy Cricket!" I nearly let out a snort when I heard that.

"Right. The lying thing. Thought your nose grew a little bit."

"I'm not Pinocchio!" Henry exclaimed.

"Of course you're not. 'Cause that would be ridiculous." Emma muttered sarcastically, and it took everything within me to keep a straight face as we started down the road. We drove for another 10 to 15 mins before stopping in front of a very nice house.

"You live here? Because if you do, I'm up for adoption too, just so you know. In case you want a big sister or anything" I got smacked on the arm again for that last comment, "Darn it Em, what the heck? Don't you think I want to be taken care of too? I'm tired of being an adult it sucks."

Emma just scowls playfully at me before getting out of the car, "Alright kid, let's go before I lose my best friend forever."

"Please don't take me back there," Henry whines as we follow Emma to the front gate of the mayor's house.

"I have to. I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you." Emma tried to reason with him.

"I don't have parents," Henry mutters and a seed of hope blossoms in my chest.

"What?" I turn around to ask him surprising both him and Emma, "Only a dad? Is he cute?"

"Alice!"

"Emma it's my life's goal to have a sugar daddy," I say with as much emotion as I can muster.

"What's a sugar daddy?" a cold shiver was sent through my body when I heard the kid ask that question. Oh well if anyone is going to traumatize this kid, it should be me. I was about to say something when Emma slapped her hand on my mouth so hard I thought she knocked a tooth loose.

"Nothing kid," Emma quickly replies for me. "So no dad?"

"No I just have a mom, and she's evil."

"Evil. That's a bit extreme, isn't it?" Emma asked as she finally took her hand off of my face.

"She is. She doesn't love me, she only pretends to." The kid tries to explain to us, but I don't believe him.

"Dude if she went through all the trouble to get you a… counselor, I'm pretty sure she loves you." I try to reason with the kid because so far it sounds like his mom really cares about him. Then again, we don't know what goes on behind closed doors. As we continue walking up the sidewalk to the front door Henry continues to try and sway us to his side.

"No, she doesn't!"

"Kid. I'm sure that's not true," said Emma just as the front door to the house opens to reveal a man and a woman running towards us. Both of them looked relieved to see Henry, especially the woman.

"Henry? Henry!" She starts yelling until she gets close enough to grab the boy and bring him close for a hug. After a few more seconds she lets him go to look at all of us, "Are you okay? Where have you been? What happened?"

"I found my real mom!" Henry yells before running inside past the man who I now notice is wearing a sheriffs badge. I know I haven't done anything bad, but I always get nervous in front of cops. I feel like if I ever breathe wrong I'll probably get arrested for it. I chose to ignore him, and focus back at the woman in front of us instead, who is staring straight at me.

"You're Henry's birth mother?" She asked me with a strained look in her eyes.

"No," I say quickly pointing to Emma. "She is, I'm just her best friend." I hear the man say something about checking up on Henry before leaving. I just want to retreat to the car due to how awkward it is right now. I can tell by the look on Emma's face that she wants to leave too, but neither one of us make a move to go. We're both standing there frozen in our place.

"How would the two of you like a glass of the best apple cider you will ever taste?" The woman asked us politely, trying to get rid of the tension in the air.

"Got anything stronger?" Emma joked "By the way, my name's Emma Swan, and this is Alice Thorn."

"It's nice to meet both of you. My name is Regina Mills." She introduced herself politely before leading us into her house. I can tell Em is really nervous right now, so I gently nudge her to get her attention, and I give her a subtle wink. The tension from her shoulders lessen to some extent, and she smiles back at me. I return the smile as the mayor leads both of us into the foyer. I look around and I notice how classy the place is. The woman has taste I'll give her that. We all came to a stop as the mayor excused herself to grab all three of us a cup. A few seconds later she returns with three glasses and begins pouring some cider.

"How did he find me?" Emma asked in a would-be calm voice.

"No idea. When I adopted him, he was only three weeks old. Records were sealed, I was told the birth mother didn't want to have any contact."

"You were told right," Emma stated as she kept moving around. Finally, I just grabbed her arm to keep her from moving anymore. The last thing either one of us needed was for Emma to look like a nervous wreck in front of this woman.

"And the father?" I winced when I heard that question because I knew how much it hurt Emma to talk about Neil. I swear if I ever find that man, I'm going to beat the crap out of him for breaking her heart.

"There was one," Emma whispered.

"Do I need to be worried about him?" Mayors Mills asked a bit apprehensively.

"Nope. Doesn't even know."

"Do I need to be worried about you, Miss Swan?"

"Absolutely not," Emma reassured her. From what I knew about Emma and the situation about the kid, I know this to be true. We didn't talk about this often, but from what Emma did tell me she just wanted her child to be safe and well taken cared for, and she knew when she was 18 that she couldn't do that for him. Especially when she was so messed up herself she didn't want to risk ruining the kid and failing him like all the adults in her life did to her. We were interrupted when the man from earlier came back down the stairs.

"Madam Mayor, you can relax. Other than being a tired little boy, Henry's fine."

"Thank you, Sheriff." The mayor said before the man excused himself. After he left the mayor led us to another room and offered us a seat. "I'm sorry he dragged you two out of your lives. I really don't know what's gotten into him."

"Hey it's okay," I tell her. "The kid has problems, and what child doesn't at his age."

"You have to understand, ever since I became mayor, balancing things has been tricky. You two have job's, I assume?"

"Uh, we keep busy. Yeah." Emma answers for both of us, and it's true, but we don't exactly have the most ordinary jobs around. I'm a freelance writer, which means I travel around the world, and write about the places I go to and people pay for me to do this. Emma, on the other hand, after years of being a thief she became a bail bondswoman and she's really good at it too. Still, they aren't exactly what most people would term as easy or even normal careers.

"Imagine having another one on top of it." Ms. Mills explains, "That's being a single mom. So I push forward. Am I strict? I suppose. But I do it for his own good. I want Henry to excel in life. I don't think that makes me evil, do you?"

"Not at all," I replied. "If anything it just shows that you have his best interest at heart."

"Exactly," Emma chimes in. "I'm sure he's just saying that because of the fairytale thing."

"What fairytale thing?"

"Oh, you know, his book. How he thinks everyone's a cartoon character from it. Like his shrink is Jiminy Cricket." Emma explains but the mayor doesn't seem to understand what she's talking about from the looks of it.

"I'm sorry, I really have no idea what you're talking about." Mayor Mills tells us, and it seems like she really is confused about what's going on.

"You know what, it's none of my business. He's your kid. And we really should be heading back." Apparently, that was all Mayor Mills needed to hear to escort us to the door. I hadn't even gotten the chance to drink some of that apple cider she gave us. Still, I kept my mouth closed, and we left the house.

On our way home it was quiet, but it was no longer filled with tension like before. The anxiety that surrounded Emma before was no longer there, and I'm happy that she was no longer nervous. Now we can return to our normal lives as if nothing ever happened. Still, for some reason, I was sad to be leaving, and I had no idea why. It was as if something was telling me to go back and stay for a little while. Emma must have noticed since she started speaking again.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking."

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"What about chicken nuggets at the nearest Mcdonalds," I smirked.

"Fine," Emma laughed. "What's up?"

"I don't know, I'm just getting this feeling like we should stay a while," I admit, but by the look on Emma's face, she wasn't liking where I was going with this.

"No, not one of your feelings again." the older woman groaned. It wasn't the first time I had one of my feelings about something. Just like she had her superpower about lying, I had mine about feelings. Kind of not really. It's more like a gut feeling about certain things, and I'm usually right about them.

"You asked, I answered."

"You don't really wanna stay, do you?"

"Not really, but something is telling me to turn around and go back." I explain "Maybe I'm just tired from jet lag and all."

Emma shrugs her shoulders before letting out a curse under her breath. I look to her to see what warranted that reaction from her, and I see her smiling at the rearview mirror. I look to the back seat, and I see the book Henry was telling us about earlier, and I smiled. He is definitely Emma's child if he's pulling this little trick on us. I grabbed the book before turning back around and flipping it open. Whoever wrote this book was quite talented because these pictures were pretty good. I showed the book to Emma, and she smiled before letting out a scream. The last thing I saw was a white wolf and everything went black.

I felt someone shaking me a bit roughly a few minutes later, and when I opened my eyes it was to find Emma looking down at me with worry in her eyes. I sat up rubbing my eyes only to realize we were no longer in the yellow bug that was Emma's car. Instead, we were both sharing a cell… why are we in a cell?

"Em, why are we here and not in Boston?" I ask the blond and all she could do was let out a groan in response. As quickly as she could, she filled me in on what happened to us. I still couldn't believe our luck. Of course, we would be the ones to run into a wolf. Before I could ask any more questions, the sheriff walks in.

"Leroy! I'm going to let you out, you need to behave. Put on a smile, and stay out of trouble." The sheriff tells him before releasing the shorter man. He then turns to us with a look of judgment on his face.

"Why are we in this cell?" I ask him from my seated position next to Emma.

"Regina's drinks, a little stronger than we thought," he said smiling gently at us. If he thinks that we got drunk off of some apple cider that I didn't even get the chance to taste, he has another thing coming.

"We weren't drunk. There was a wolf, standing in the middle of the road." Emma tries to explain to him but he doesn't seem to believe us. I hardly remember the stupid thing, but I run along with the story and I let Emma do the talking so I won't screw it up. It wouldn't be the first time I made the situation worse by talking, so staying quiet was basically the goal for me right now. Luckily we were saved when a certain mayor came charging in with a look of concern written all over her face.

"Graham? Henry's run away again, we have to-" she stops mid-sentence when she notices the two of us in the cell. "What are they doing here? Do you two know where he is?"

"Lady, we haven't seen him since we dropped him off at your house, and we have a pretty good alibi." Emma snipes back from where we're seated.

"Yeah, well, he wasn't in his room this morning." I raise my eyebrow at her. Was that all it took to get her worried? Maybe he just went to school like a normal kid? I say this out loud only to receive a death glare in return. Geeze talk about rude.

"Did you try his friends?" Emma asked her.

"He doesn't really have any. Kind of a loner." The mayor states quietly to us. I feel bad for her because it must be hard knowing that your kid is the one without friends in school.

"Every kid has friends. Did you check his computer? If he was close to someone he'd be emailing them." Emma tries to tell her.

"And you know this how?" The mayor questions Emma with an ounce of suspicion seeping into her voice.

"Finding people is what she does madam mayor," I speak up and walk closer to the bars that are holding us in. "Trust me she's really good at it."

"Here's an idea, how 'bout you guys let us out, and I'll help you find him." Emma bargains. After a few minutes of talking both the mayor and the sheriff agree to let us go so long as we help them find the boy. With everyone in agreement, we begin our search for the brat.

The first place we checked was Mayor Mills house or more specifically the kids' room. Emma said that he probably left something on his computer and whatever we find might lead us to where he could be. Since I know from experience what Emma's doing, and how she goes about it, I leave her to her work. There's no point in getting in her way, but I guess the other two people with us didn't get the memo. The sheriff and mayor Mills were practically breathing down Emma's neck, and I was getting irritated for her. I understand they're concerned but getting in Em's way is not going to help them. Finally, it seems like the blond found something or rather the lack of evidence because she starts talking.

"Smart kid. Cleared his inbox. I'm smart too, a little hard disk recovery utility I like to use."

"I hate that thing," I mutter under my breath. "I can never get away with anything because of it."

"I'm a bit more old-fashioned, in my techniques. Pounding the pavement, knocking on doors, that sort of thing." The sheriff explains to us, and it's no wonder they couldn't find the kid yesterday. His methods took way too long to see the results.

"You're on salary; I get paid for delivery. Pounding pavement is not a luxury that I get. Ah, there's a receipt for a website, —it's expensive. He has a credit card?"

"He's ten." the older woman reported as if we were stupid. I don't know how Emma deals with people when she's doing her job because I would get fed up within minutes of doing this.

"Well, he used one. Let's pull up a transaction record." Emma continues clicking until she finds what she's looking for. Once she found her evidence she points it out to the rest of us. "Mary Margaret Blanchard, who's Mary Margaret Blanchard?"

"Henry's teacher."

From the look on this on Mayor Mills face, I can tell she hates this Mary person. I actually feel a bit sorry for this mystery woman because we have no idea if she was even aware that the kid took her card. I'm mean the kid was pretty clever from what I've seen, but then again how dumb can you be that you don't notice someone using your card. Oh well, not my problem that's for sure.

"Okay so now that we know who the credit card belongs to I'm guessing we just pay her a visit, and see if she knows where the kid is lurking- I mean hiding." I look to my friend, and she nods her head in confirmation. Seeing as the sheriff is nothing but dead weight at this point we ditch him and head straight to the school. Once we got there, Emma and I followed a very angry mayor to the classroom that was beginning to empty out. Makes sense considering the bell just rang, but I wonder if these kids know that their teacher was about to be murdered by their mayor.

"Miss Mills, what are you doing here?" The pretty little teacher asked. She kinda reminds me of a fairytale character with that pixie haircut she sporting.

"Where's my son?"

"Henry.. I assumed he was home with you."

"You think I'd be here if he was? Did you give him your credit card so he can find her?" She asked as she points in our direction. To help her out I also point to Emma which earned me another smack to the arm. I swear by the time this is over I'm going to have a big ugly bruise on my arm given the number of times I've been hit.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" The other woman asked.

Emma was about to answer her but before she could even get a word in Regina speaks up for her. "She the woman who gave him up for adoption."

"Hey!" I yell gaining all of their attention. "There is no need to be rude. You could just have said birth mother instead-"

"Of the truth?" The older woman rounds on me and before I could tear into her Emma steps forward.

"You don't know anything about this, do you?" Emma gently asked her.

"No, unfortunately not." The shorter woman begins to search through her bag, but she seemed to have come up empty. "Clever boy. I should never have given him that book."

"What in the hell is this book I keep hearing about?" the mayor asked clearly frustrated that we all know something she doesn't.

"Just some old stories I gave him. As you well know, Henry is a special boy: so smart, so creative, and as you might be aware, lonely. He needed it."

"What he needs is a dose of reality. This is a waste of time. Have a nice trip back to Boston." She huffs at us before storming out of the room. She was even petty enough to brush against a pile of books before she left, sending them across the floor in her rage. As Henry's teacher steps forward to pick them up Emma and I go to assist her.

"Sorry to bother you." Emma apologizes as all three of us gather the books, but I couldn't help noticing how Ms. Blanchard was giving Emma a strange look. It wasn't bad, just strange.

"No, it's-it's okay, I fear this is partially my fault."

"How?" I ask her as we all stand up again and give her the books. "All you did was give him a book. I don't see any harm in doing that."

"How's a book supposed to help?" Emma inquires.

"What do you think stories are for? These stories? The classics? There's a reason we all know them. They're a way for us to deal with our world. A world that doesn't always make sense." the shorter woman explains to us, but I don't fully agree with her explanation so I cut in.

"Eh that's not always the case Em, but it's not too far off either." I start off with, and by the looks on both of their faces, I knew I had caught their attention. "You see stories give us examples on how to deal with certain situations when we don't know how to deal with them ourselves, true. But stories are also a good means to escape."

"Escape?" my best friend questions me.

"Yes, because for some adults and a lot of children, the only way to escape from reality is to venture into another one. You can explore new worlds and different possibilities through books. When normally you're in a world that is too harsh, you can escape into another filled with amazing opportunities that were never an option before. You can even find a place where you belong."

"Wow that's pretty deep," Emma states as she looks at me, but it's true. That's the power books hold over those who appreciate them.

"Your friends right actually." Ms. Blanchard says with a smile. Her smile doesn't stay for long because before I know it it's gone again. "See, Henry hasn't had the easiest life."

"Yeah, she's kind of a hard-ass." I snort when I hear Emma say this about Ms. Mills. To be honest the woman needs to soften up a bit because she's a little too hard on those around her.

"No, it's more than her. He's like any adopted child. He wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face: why would anyone give me away?" Both Emma and I freeze when we heard Ms. Blanchard say this. Apparently, she noticed because she immediately begins to apologize. "I am so sorry. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean in any way to judge you…"

"What's your problem lady?" I ask her stepping in front of Emma but still making sure my voice doesn't carry down the hall.

"It's okay Al." Emma tries to tell me, but it's too late because I've had enough.

"No Em, I'm sick of hearing that." I tell her before rounding on the startled teacher once again, "Listen here I'm getting sick and tired of all of you judging my best friend. She made her decision, and sure some of you might consider this selfish, but I think what she did was brave. She admitted to herself and others that she wasn't ready for a child and gave that huge responsibility to someone more capable than she was at the time. All she wanted to do was make sure her child received the best care even if it was from someone other than herself. So I don't wanna hear another judgemental word out of any of you."

"I'm so sorry." The raven-haired woman starts saying, and I actually felt a little bad for going off on her. Oh well, at least she'll never make this mistake in the future. "Look, I gave the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have; hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."

"You know where he is, don't you?" Emma said more than asked.

"You might want to check his castle." After getting the directions to the castle, we left Ms. Blanchard and raced to the car. I offered to stay behind while she goes to talk to the kid, but Emma was insistent that I come along. I guess for support, but I didn't bother asking her. I knew Emma pretty well at this point, and certain things didn't need to be talked about out loud because we just knew. We had an understanding that not many understood if that made any sense.

Halfway there, Emma turns to look at me since I was the one driving this time. "You don't have to defend me you know."

"Of course I don't have to, but that doesn't mean I won't."

"Al-"

"No Em, you don't deserve all the crap you're getting from these people. The looks or the comments because yes, I have noticed and no I won't stand for it." I said giving her a look before looking back at the road. "You don't even have to be out here looking for this kid yet you're doing it and don't start with it was to get us out of jail thing because if it was, you would have stopped after you got his teachers name."

"I know you Emma, and I know why you made that choice so as an expert, in this case, I say no one gets to judge you for what you did." I finished without bothering to look at the older woman beside me.

"An expert?" I heard the humor in her voice before I saw it on her face. No one could blame me when I half-heartedly slapped her in retaliation. "Hey! There's no need to be so violent."

"Oh look who's talking. You've slapped me how many times since I got back." I laughed as I pulled up to the park. "The books in the back seat just so you know."

"Right…" Emma says quietly. In the distance, we can see Henry in his castle sitting there sadly, but Emma doesn't even move from where she's seated. I have to nudge her to make start moving. She gets out of the car and grabs the book, but she doesn't close the door yet. Instead, she peeks her head back in to look at me. I knew what she wanted before she asked, so to answer her silent request I turn the car off and get out of the car. She sends me a thank you, and we make our way to Henry.

"You left this in my car," Emma said as she handed the boy his book before looking in the direction of the clocktower. "Still hasn't moved, huh?"

"I was hoping that when I brought you back, things would change here. That the final battle will begin."

"I'm not fighting any battles, kid," Emma announced as she sat down next to Henry but I remained standing right in front of them.

"Yes, you are. You're here because it's your destiny. You're going to bring back the happy endings."

"Can you cut it with the book crap?"

"Woah Em am I rubbing off on you or something?" I ask her, but all that earned me was a kick to the leg. At least Henry got a laugh out of it, so I guess it was worth it this time.

"You don't have to be hostile. I know you like me, I can tell. You're just… pushing me away because I make you feel guilty. It's okay, I know why you gave me away. You wanted to give me my best chance." I was surprised the kid guessed the reason Emma gave him away right off the bat. Well maybe not so quickly I mean he did have a couple of years to think about it. Emma seemed shocked because she sent me a look before turning back to Henry.

"How do you know that?"

"The same reason Snow White gave you away."

"Oh no…" I groaned. "We're back in fantasy land… well, at least you're Snow Whites kid. She is my favorite Disney princess and all.

"Listen to me, kid. I am not in any book. I'm a real person. And I'm no savior. You were right about one thing, though. I wanted you to have your best chance. But it's not with me. C'mon, let's go." Emma got up and quickly started walking back to her car. I was right behind her, and poor Henry was trying to keep up.

"Please don't take me back there! Just stay with me for one week, that's all I ask! One week, and you'll see I'm not crazy." Henry pleaded, but Emma wouldn't listen to him and kept walking.

"Kid, you need to understand that we have to take you back to your mom." I tried explaining it to him, but it didn't work, and he just kept arguing.

"You don't know what it's like with her. My life sucks!" When he said those words, I knew it was all over for him because those words hit far too close to home for either one of us. I don't even bother to stop Emma from yelling at the kid because maybe this will teach him how to be grateful for what he has.

"Oh, you wanna know what sucking is? Being left abandoned on the side of a freeway; my parents didn't even bother to drop me off at a hospital! I ended up in a foster system and I had a family until I was three but then they had their own kid so they sent me back. Alice doesn't even know who she is. All she has is that necklace you see around her neck and her own name. Do you think anyone came to claim her when she woke up in the hospital? No! We were both alone until we found each other!"

"Emma," I say sharply stepping in between her and Henry. Look I don't mind her making an example out of me or teaching Henry a lesson but right now she was losing herself. "Calm down, Emma. I think he gets the picture, it's okay."

Emma nods at me and she takes a moment to collect herself. Once I'm sure she's okay I step out of the way. Emma takes a step forward and starts speaking to Henry again, "Look. Your mom is trying her best. I know it's hard. And I know sometimes you think she doesn't love you. But at least she wants you."

"Your parents didn't leave you on the side of the freeway, that's just where you came through!"

"Little boy said what now?" I was so confused by Henry's logic that apart of me didn't even want an explanation.

"The wardrobe. When Emma went through the wardrobe she appeared on the side of the street. Her parents were trying to save her from the curse." Henry turns to explain it to me.

"Kid this isn't Narnia! Things like that don't just happen. Now get your butt in gear and start walking to the car, we're dropping you off at your house already."

True to our word we dropped Henry off at his house. Emma got out of the car to make sure he went inside, but I stayed in the car waiting for her. I just realized we haven't eaten anything today due to all of the running around and I'm hungry. When I turn to look out the car window I see Emma making her way back to the car. She gets in and slams the door shut and telling me to drive but I stay put.

"What are you waiting for? Drive." She tells me again as she puts on her seat belt, but I still don't move. Instead, I turn the car off and give her a look. "What?"

"Em don't play dumb with me it's not a good look on you," I tell her as I fully turn to face her. "Now tell me what happened that caused you to get this angry."

Emma spared no details as she told me what happened and what Ms. Mills told her. I was upset for Emma, but I could also understand why Ms. Mills said the things she said. She was scared that Emma was going to take Henry away from her, and by the way the kid was acting, it's not like she didn't have a reason to believe that. The only thing is that Emma doesn't want Henry back. All she wanted up until this point was to get the kid home and get the hell out of here. But by the look on her face, I think the plans have changed.

"So what's the plan?" I ask her with a smile on my face. She turned to me eyes wide ready to say something, but I cut her off. "Oh no, I'm not leaving you in this town by yourself. You run I run remember?"

"I knew I could count on you Al." Emma smiled back at me before getting serious once again. "Okay, we'll stay for one week. Just one. I want to make sure that the Henrys' okay. If he is, then that's great."

"And if he's not?"

"I'll handle it if it comes down to it."

"Alright then," I say as I settle back in my seat and turn the car back on. "In the meantime let's grab something to eat and find a place to stay. Hopefully, it's cheap here."

After driving around for a while, we stopped at a place called Granny's and grabbed a quick bite to eat. We also made sure to ask if there was a hotel nearby and just our luck there was. Apparently, the woman who owned the restaurant also owned an inn down the road. After we paid, we made our way to the inn. I'm guessing not a lot of people came by these days because the greenery surrounding the place was getting out of hand. Someone needed to fix that. Emma and I made our way inside just in time to hear the ending of an argument between an older woman and who I believe is her granddaughter.

"You're out all night, and now you're going out again."

"I should've moved to Boston!"

"I'm sorry that my heart attack interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the Eastern Seaboard!"

"Wow they have problems," I whisper to Emma but she only nudges me on the side. "What it's true."

"'Scuse me? We would both like a room?" Emma finally speaks up from where we were standing. It's a good thing she did because it seems like the other two women hadn't even noticed us enter in the first place. They should really get a bell for this place. The older woman finally noticing us turns around with shock written all over her face.

"Really?" She asked us and we both nod back at her. The other woman must have heard since she popped up right next to her grandmother a few seconds later. "Would you like a forest view or a square view? Normally there's an upgrade fee for the square, but as the rent is due, I'll wave it.

"Square is fine." Emma starts saying before turning to me. "Al?"

"I don't care so long if it's right next to you" I respond.

"Now. What are your names?" The older woman asked as she moved to stand behind a desk to write down our names.

"Thorn but without the E. Alice Thorn."

"Swan. Emma Swan."

"Emma... What a lovely name." Someone said behind us, and I jumped. If these people don't invest in a bell sometime soon, I'll buy one for them. When I turned around to face the gentleman that said Emma's name I froze. Although my face was kept perfectly calm, my body went rigid. For some reason, I was bombarded with a sudden mix of emotions as I looked at the older gentleman who stood before me. I felt disappointment and anger, but I also could feel something else that I couldn't explain. I don't understand why when I have never met this man before in my life. He doesn't even look like anyone I have ever met before, with his long light brown hair and brown cold eyes.

"Thanks," Emma says quietly beside me. I notice the older woman from before move around to hand the man a wad of cash. What is that about, and why does she look so nervous?

"It's all here," she says, and the man takes it without even counting it.

"Yes, yes, of course, it is, dear. Thank you," he tells her before turning to face me, and Emma. "Enjoy your stay, Emma. Alice."

After that, he leaves, and all of us stay quiet for a few seconds before Emma speaks up asking the question we both wanna know. "Who's that?"

"Mr. Gold. He owns this place." The younger woman explains to us.

"The inn?" I ask her, "I thought someone everyone calls Granny owns this place, or at least that's what we were told."

"I do, and that's not what Ruby meant." She told me in a hushed voice, "He owns the town."

"Seriously!" I was shocked that this Mr. Gold owned the entire town, but something inside me felt like I should have known this already.

"Yup." Granny (I'm just going to call her this) said, "So! How long will you two be with us?"

"A week. Just a week." Emma told her, but there was no conviction in her voice. It kind of made me doubt her, but I chose to stay quiet this time.

"Great," Granny said handing both of us an old-fashioned key. "Welcome to Storybrooke."

* * *

Hey again! I hope you guys like the first chapter. Now I don't exactly have a schedule when it comes to updating but I'll try my best to at least do one a month, but no promises. If you notice any mistakes or if it feels too rushed at any point please let me know so I can prevent them in future chapters. Your feedback is always welcomed. Well until next time bye guys!


	2. Chapter 2: The Evil Queen

...

So I'm sorry about being late... even though I promised that I would try to post once a month. College is very hectic and honestly, I've been having writer's block, so with a further ado here's chapter two.

By the way, I only own my Oc, Alice Thorn.

* * *

"_How funny it'll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downwards! The antipathies, I think__" - Alice in Wonderland_

I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and well-rested. The last two days have pretty much been a blur that I barely had enough time to process everything. But now that we have finally got settled in I can finally catch my breath. The only thing I have to do is send in my "report" to the magazine company I'm currently working at and then I'm done. What I do is simple, I'm a freelance writer which means I get paid to travel places. I get told where in the world they want me to visit, and all I have to do is write about my experience. Sounds easy right? Wrong. It means working irregular hours and traveling the world and being far from home. The pay isn't that good either for most writers, but I got lucky.

It's amazing that I even have friends considering the amount of time I put into each project. Still, the main person I spend my time with is my best friend Emma Swan. We've known each other for the better part of two years. Considering our past, it's not unusual that we only have each other to depend on. Emma grew up alone, and she got used to people leaving her. I, on the other hand, don't have any memories before three years ago. I just woke up in the hospital with nothing but my necklace. The doctors said some random stranger found me and dropped me off at the hospital before leaving me there. I was also wearing black armor for some reason, but I can't remember why I had that on. The only thing I could remember is my name, but a small part of me doesn't feel like it's mine.

One year passed, and I was still trying to recover my lost memories, and that's when I met Emma. We weren't friends, when we first met, but over time we kept bumping into each other. After a while, we just became friends and chose to stick together. In the end, we're both glad that we did. Life got a lot easier when we had the other one there. We no longer feel alone. But life can't simply let us live our lives. Two days ago Henry popped up on Emma's birthday, and now we're here in Storybrooke. What a strange little town. Not to mention the Mayor is just a pain to deal with. But Emma wants to make sure Henry isn't being neglected, so here we are for one week. Joy.

Finally getting up from my bed and leaving my room to go to the one next door. I knock once and wait for Emma to open up. When she does, I don't bother saying hello as I barge in and flop down on her bed. She joins me a second later, laying on her back.

"You do realize we didn't bring anything with us, right?" I questioned her as I rolled onto my back.

"Yup."

"Not even a change of clothes. We have been wearing the same outfits for the past two days or in my case three." she raised one of her eyebrows at me when I said that. "Remember I flew in the night Henry came and I left my suitcase at your apartment."

"Right, I forgot about that."

"I hope you have our back up toothbrushes and undergarments in your car."

"I do. Thank heaven."

"Good. By the way, question."

"Answer."

"What do we do now?"

"...I have no idea."

"Ugh! Emma!" I yelled at her as I grab a nearby pillow and smacked her with it.

"What?" She asked me as she took the pillow away from me.

"You can't just walk around without a plan." I finally tell her as I sit up. She sits up with me, but instead of looking at me she looks down at the ground. She sits there for a while not speaking to me and it's easy to understand why. She's way out of her comfort zone and her area of expertise so of course, she wouldn't know what to do or say. Still, I had hoped she thought of something.

"I just... don't know what to do." She admits, "I have no idea how to go about this or where to even start."

"How about checking up on him," I suggested. "Don't be a stalker but check and see how he is. What he likes and what he doesn't like. If he has any friends or if he really is alone."

"Okay, I'll-" A knock on the doctor interrupts our discussion. Emma looks to the door then back at me. "I'm almost afraid to open it."

"Why? Do you have any other kids out there?" I laugh but the look on Emma's face when I said that made me wince. "Sorry... too soon?"

"Way too soon, Al. Hold on I'll check to see who it is." Emma said, getting up from the bed. When she opened the door, it was to find the mayor of Storybrooke on the other side with a basket of apples.

"Did you know the Honeycrisp tree is the most vigorous and hearty of all apple trees? It can survive temperatures as low as forty below and keep growing. It can weather any storm. I have one that I've tended to since I was a little girl. And to this day, I have yet to taste anything more delicious than the fruit it offers." The mayor informs us. When she's finished talking, she hands Emma an apple and then turns to look at me. "Miss Thorn, would you like an apple."

"Well, I do like apples," I said as I stood up and grabbed the apple she offered me taking a huge bite off of it. "You know what Em, she's right. This apple is amazing."

"And I'm sure you'll enjoy the rest of them on your drive home," Regina remarked with a _sweet _smile.

"Actually, we're going to stay for a while," Emma informed her, but by the look on Regina's face, I don't think she's too happy to hear that as her smile starts to fade.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea. Henry has enough issues. He doesn't need you confusing him."

"All due respect, Madam Mayor, the fact that you have now threatened me twice in the last twelve hours makes me want to stay more."

"Maybe that's why the kid has so many problems." I point out to them, "Because someone isn't a very good role model."

"Excuse me," Regina sneered. "I came all this way to give you two apples. Since when were apples a threat?"

"We can read between the lines." Emma replied, "Sorry, I just want to make sure Henry's okay."

"He's fine, dear. Any problems he has are being taken care of."

"And how are you taking care of these problems." I ask her, "What's your approach, dearie?"

"What did you just say?" asked Regina, who oddly enough looked horrified.

"What's your approach?" I repeated not understanding what the problem was. Regina took one step closer toward me and looked at me as if she was trying to find something, but I couldn't understand what. It looked as if she dismissed it one second later as she sneered at me.

"I don't think that concern you, Miss Thorn."

"True, you do have a fair point. It doesn't concern me." I said. "But if you can tell me anyways that might make our stay here a lot shorter than what it has to be."

"I have him in therapy." She states a bit more quietly than before. She looks to Emma again before continuing, "It's all under control. Take my advice, Miss Swan. Only one of us knows what's best for Henry."

"Yeah, I'm starting to think you're right about that." Emma counters.

"It's time for you to go," Regina stated and whatever was left from her facade earlier was gone now. Finally I see who Regina really is. Someone who demands to have everything and anything the way she wants it, and if it's not her way then it automatically makes it wrong and she'll do everything in her power to make the problem disappear. She actually reminds me of someone, but who?

"Or what?" Emma challenges as she takes one step forward.

"Don't underestimate me, Miss Swan. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

"And you don't know what we can do either," I warn Regina as I step in between her and Emma. "So I suggest you calm down before we get angry. Because trust me, you don't want to see that happen."

I don't allow her to say another word as I slam the door in her face. I'm fuming at this point because if that wasn't the pettiest thing I ever witnessed in my entire life. I mean the nerve of that woman coming here and picking a fight with Emma. The reasonable thing she should have done is come and talk to Emma about the situation. Emma is a very understanding person, and she was even on Regina's side to begin with, but no, she can't be reasonable.

"I can see why Henry calls her evil." I sneered.

"Me too, the woman is a pain," Emma added before bringing my attention onto another matter. "Which reminds me we should probably get our stuff out of my car before we go to Granny's."

"We're going to Granny's again?"

"Do you know any other place we can go grab something to eat."

"True." I agree as I take another bite out of my apple. "You know what I just realized?"

"What?"

"She took the basket with her when she left." Emma raises one of her eyebrows at me again as if asking why I cared. "Em, these apples are delicious, and she's hoarding them for herself. That's just selfish."

Sometime later, we made our way to Granny's to get a bite to eat. Well, mostly it was me eating since Emma still had the apple Regina gave her. When we got there Emma started reading the newspaper as she waited for me to finish my meal. Apparently, we made the front page, but I didn't care. I chose to focus on the plate in front of me instead. While Emma wasn't that much of a big eater I, on the other hand, can clear out an entire fridge. Emma always said that the way to my heart was through my stomach. I guess that's why I love her so much, it was because she always made sure to keep me fed.

I was right in the middle of eating my pancakes, eggs, and bacon with a side of hash browns when Ruby came by with a cup of hot chocolate. She placed the drink right in front of Emma. "Here you go."

"Thank you," Emma began to say a bit confused. "But I didn't order that."

"Yeah, I know. You have an admirer." Ruby smiled. Both Emma and I looked at each other before looking over our shoulders. At a booth just behind us sat the sheriff all by himself. Emma believing she had found the person who sent the hot chocolate to her, got up to talk to him. Most likely to let him down and refuse the drink. Emma doesn't do the whole dating thing anymore since what happened with Neal. Not that I blame her.

Luckily I could still hear their conversation from where I was sitting. It was going well at first until Emma found out that Graham didn't send her the hot chocolate. Instead, it was Henry who was sitting at the next table over with a smile on his adorable face. I started laughing when I saw that little punk. When I finally regained my breath, I turned to look at Ruby.

"You knew from the start it was from Henry, didn't you?" I asked her. The only answer she gave me was a shrug of her shoulders, but the smile on her face gave her away. I kept laughing as I said, "Ruby, just for that, I'm giving you a huge tip. You made Emma look so dumb."

"If you don't stop laughing, I'm leaving you here." an irritated voice said behind me. I spun around in my seat to find Emma standing behind me with Henry at her side. Just as Emma's face was slightly red with embarrassment, Henry had one of pure amusement.

"Sorry Em, I couldn't help it. Anyways go ahead and sit down already." I told her as I tried to regain my composure.

"I can't because we're walking Henry to school. He said he wants you to come along." Emma informed me.

Surprised by the request I looked to Henry with the kindest smile I could manage, and said, "Hell no."

"Alice!"

"Emma, I'm eating!" I yell back at her. When I turned back around to finish my meal, I noticed my plate was no longer there. "NOOOO!"

"Don't worry, I just told Ruby to bag it for you and to get the check so we could leave," Henry informed me.

"I hate you kid."

"You'll learn to love me," he told me and I was about to tell him off when I notice Emma laughing at me. "Shut up you're paying."

After paying and getting my bag of food, we made our way to the school. It was quiet as we walked, and I was beginning to wonder why they had dragged me out when Emma finally started talking.

"So, what's the deal with you and your mom?"

"It's not about us, it's about her curse," Henry replied. "We have to break it. Luckily, I have a plan. Step one – identification. I call it "Operation Cobra."

"Cobra? That has nothing to do with fairy tales." Emma pointed out.

"Exactly. It's a code name to throw the Queen off the trail."

"Fair enough," I told the kid. "But you do know that we have no clue about how to break this curse right?"

"Don't worry," Henry responded. "We'll get to that point eventually."

"If you say so, kid."

"So, everyone here is a fairy tale character, they just don't know it?" Emma tried asking.

"That's the curse. Time's been frozen here until you came."

Henry went on for a while longer about the curse, but the more he said, the less I understood. The curse itself made no sense to me. There were too many questions and not enough answers. If I was being honest, I was getting tired of this game. I wasn't that great with kids so to me this game was getting kind of old and annoying. Before I could ask any more questions, Henry started to scream.

"Hey! Where'd you get that?" Henry asked as he pointed to the innocent apple in Emma's hand.

"Your mom," Emma answered back. We were both confused as to why the kid was so upset about an apple, but we didn't get a chance to ask why before the kid grabbed the apple and threw it. He said not to eat it, but I couldn't understand why it was such a bad thing.

"Dude, that was a good apple," I complained. Honestly, I could have eaten it. He didn't have to throw it away.

"It was poisoned!" Henry screeched at us

"What? No, it wasn't."

"Yes it was, trust me."

"Okay kid," Emma started to say. "If the apple had been poisoned, then how come Alice is alive?"

"She isn't the target. That's how."

I rolled my eyes at the kid because he had an answer for everything. Oh well, I shouldn't be too hard on him. He is just a kid, so he probably doesn't know any better. Instead, Emma decided it was time to ask more about the curse, or more specifically, the past lives of the fairy tale characters. Once again Henry had the perfect answer to her question.

"They don't know. It's a haze to them. Ask anyone anything, and you'll see."

"So, for decades, people have been walking around in a haze, not aging, with screwed up memories, stuck in a cursed town that kept them oblivious?" I asked.

"I knew you'd get it eventually, Alice. That's why we need Emma. She's the only one who can stop the curse."

"Because I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming?"

"Yes, and right now, we have the advantage. My mom doesn't know that. I took out the end. The part with you in it. See? Your mom is Snow White." Henry excitedly told us as he pulled out a few pieces of paper and gave them to Emma.

"Kid…" Emma said with a smile. I assume she must have gotten a kick out of it and when I looked at the pages in her hand, I can see why. In the picture was a man holding a baby, and the blanket wrapped around the baby said, Emma.

"I know the hero never believes at first. If they did, it wouldn't be a very good story. If you need proof, take them. Read them. But whatever you do, don't let her see these pages. They're dangerous. If she finds out who you are, then it would be bad."

"Why? Would your mom try to kill her?" I asked the kid as we kept walking. The silence that followed that statement was kind of scary. Finally, after a few more minutes of walking, we arrived at the school.

"I got to go, but I'll find you two later and we can get started. I knew you'd believe me!" exclaimed Henry.

"We never said we did," Emma yelled back.

"Why else would you two be here?"

"I guess all the proof he needs is your presence," I commented.

"I'm not sure that's a good thing. I'm not a hero."

"Maybe not but that's he needs you to be. Let's just see how this plays out okay." I suggested, and the nod she gave me was all the confirmation I needed. A short distance from us, I noticed a familiar raven-haired woman approaching us. "Heads up the teacher is coming."

As Ms. Blanchard approached us, I could see a soft smile beginning to form on her face as she softly said, "It's good to see his smile back."

"I didn't do anything," Emma answered.

"You stayed," the shorter woman pointed out. "So, does the Mayor know you're still here?"

"Oh, she knows," Emma muttered. "What's her deal? She's not a great people person. How did she get elected?"

"Now that's a wonderful question," I pointed out. "She's always mean and slightly aggressive. If something isn't done her way, she starts getting mad. I thought to be mayor you had to be patient and welcoming."

"Well, I don't know about that, but she's been mayor for as long as I can remember," Ms. Blanchard answered. "No one's ever been brave enough to run against her. She inspires quite a bit of, well, fear. I'm afraid I only made that worse by giving Henry that book. Now he thinks she's the Evil Queen."

I start to cackle when I heard that. The whole apple thing made so much sense now. The kid really believes his adopted mother is the evil queen from Snow White and the seven dwarfs. No wonder he went looking for Emma. Goodness, this just keeps getting better and better. As I gathered myself again, a thought hit me.

"Hey, Ms. Blanchard, let me ask you a quick question. Who does Henry think you are?"

Ms. Blanchard started to blush when I asked her the question. That could only mean the answer has got to be a good one. She tried to brush it off, stating how silly it was, but neither Emma or I were accepting that. We just endured a whole conversion about the fairy tales and a curse. One more detail won't hurt us.

Ms. Blanchard announced, "He thinks I'm Snow White."

There was a beat of silence as we digested what the raven-haired woman just told us. I did my best to stay calm because I know Emma must feel uncomfortable right now. The kid just told us that he thought Emma was the daughter of Snow White, and now here she is.

"Who does he think you two are?" Ms. Blanchard asked, completely unaware of how awkward things had become.

"Oh um, we're not in the book." I blurted out for the both of us. "But who knows we could be in there somewhere. Anyways we better get going now, right Em?"

"Yeah," Emma mumbled as we started to walk away. Just then Emma stopped and turned to face Ms. Blanchard once more, "Can I ask you a favor? Regina mentioned the kid's in therapy. Do you know where I could find the doctor?"

After Ms. Blanchard informed us of where to find the doctor, we left the school. As we walked down the street, it was quiet between us, and it was obvious why. Honestly, this girl overthinks these things a little too much.

"So what if the kid thinks she's Snow White," I stated. "It doesn't mean that she is. Henry just has an overactive imagination, that's all. He's trying to live out a fairy tale to escape his problems with Regina."

"Yeah..." Emma said halfheartedly.

"Em, you have got to stop this."

"Stop what?"

"Overthinking everything! Look, I know you're frustrated and confused, but freaking out about every little thing is going to drive you insane."

"Then what do I do?" She confessed to me.

"Do what we agreed on earlier. Check up on the kid and get to know him. That, and talk to his therapist to figure out what the problem is at home."

"But what if I make everything worse, Al."

"You might." I agreed with her. Emma looked ready to say something, but I cut her off, "Or you might not. You may end up making everything better, Ms. Savior. The thing is that you'll never know until you try, so go ahead and give it a shot."

"Thanks, Al."

Instead of replying, I kept walking. There was no need to give a reply, so instead, I focused on what was important. Getting my friend some answers from a certain cricket.

After a couple of minutes, we finally reached his office. After knocking on the door, we let ourselves in to see the doctor. "Hey, doc you busy?"

Although he seemed a bit surprised, the older man welcomed us inside his office. "Not at all I was, uh, just reading about you two. Let me guess you're here for a little help with post-traumatic stress? That diagnosis was free, by the way."

"Well, thanks doc, but that's not why we're here today."

"We're here to talk about Henry," Emma said, going straight to the point.

"I'm sorry. I… I really shouldn't-" Doctor Hopper began.

"I know I'm sorry," Emma said but still not giving up. "Just tell me something. This fairy tale obsession, what is causing it? I mean, he thinks everyone is a character in his book. That's crazy.

"I hope you don't talk that way in front of him. The word crazy is quite damaging. These stories… They're his language. He has no idea how to express complex emotions, so he's translating in the best way that he can. This is how he communicates, and he's using this book to help deal with his problems."

"So I was right..." I mumbled.

"But he got the book a month ago," Emma pointed out. "Has he been seeing you longer than that?"

"Um, yes, he has."

"So what I'm hearing is that it's Regina's fault," I said to the older man. "Which isn't surprising."

"Uh, his mother is, uh, a very complicated woman. And, uh, over the years, her attempts to try and bring Henry close to her only backfired." Doctor Hopper told us, before crossing the room and opening the filing cabinet to take out some paperwork. "Why don't you take a look at the file? Um, see what I mean."

In his hands, I could see Henry's file, but I don't understand why he's giving it to Emma. Apparently, Emma is just as confused as I am since she questions his motives.

"We talked a lot about you," Doctor Hopper answered. "You're very important to him."

"True, but just a second ago, you seemed a little less than willing to help us," I pointed out. "So why give this to us now? What's the change of heart."

There was a brief pause in the conversation when I mentioned this. To me, none of this made sense, and it was beginning to bother me. Why share information with a stranger that not only five minutes ago you were trying to withhold information from. And what happened to the whole doctor-patient confidentiality. I know I shouldn't be acting like this because this is what we wanted in the first place, but now that we have the answers... I'm just concerned.

"As I said," Doctor Hopper began. "Miss Swan is very important to him."

"Thank you." "Yeah, thanks..."

"Just, uh, see that I get it back, okay? And Miss Swan, just for the sake of the boy, be careful how you handle his belief system. Destroying his imagination would be… devastating."

Instead of wasting any time, we went straight back to the inn and began reading through Doctor Hopper's notes. The only break I took was to send in my article to my boss. Once I got his approval and the confirmation of the incoming check, I got back to reading. Neither one of us spoke as we read Henry's files. But the more I read, the more I realized that we were just wasting our time. The kid was fine, and if anything, just a bit lonely. He's an only child with an adopted and overprotective mother. Nothing strange here. I was even going to tell Emma just that when we heard a knock at the door.

"You expecting someone?"

"Yes, Emma, it's one of my many lovers here to save me," I announced as I put the papers down onto the bed. "Because we've been here for all of two days, so that means I must have met someone by now."

"Okay, geez! No need to be so sarcastic," Emma stated as she opened the door to reveal sheriff Graham. I wonder why he was here. "Hey there. If you're concerned about the 'do not disturb' signs, don't worry. I've left them alone."

"Actually, I'm here about Dr. Archibald Hopper. He mentioned that you two got into a bit of a row with him earlier?"

"WHAT?" I exclaimed, getting up from the bed. That no-good doctor called the cops on us and lied. "That's the exact opposite of what happened."

"I was shocked too, given your shy, delicate sensibilities," The Sheriff said sarcastically. Now I finally understood how Emma felt at the receiving end of my sarcasm. "He says you two demanded to see Henry's files and when he refused, you two came back and stole them."

"He gave them to us," Emma told him.

"Alas, he's telling a different tale. May I check your room? Or, must I get a search warrant?"

Emma didn't bother sending him away and instead allowed him to enter the room. As soon as the man entered, Emma made a beeline to the bed and presented to him everything Doctor Cricket **gave** us.

"Well, you're very accommodating. I'm afraid, Miss Swan, you're under arrest. Again." he said as he began to cuff her. Sadly, there was nothing that I could do to stop this. If only I went with my gut instinct, maybe we could have avoided this.

"And now it's your turn, Miss Thorn."

"Excuse me?" I asked, a bit shocked.

"He said the two of you broke in, which means you're under arrest as well," he explained to me as he got another pair of cuffs out. Darn it all!

At this point, I was fed up with just about everyone. All I wanted was to lay down on **my** bed and go to sleep. The world decided that I wasn't allowed to do that, because it threw a huge wrench in those plans, and now I'm miles away from my home getting my picture taken by some second-hand cop. Oddly enough, this doesn't seem new to me. Almost like I've been through this before with someone else, but all I see is red. Maybe this was a recurring trend in my life, and if that isn't sad, then I don't know what is.

"Alright, Miss Thorn, thank you for your cooperation." the older man said as he finished taking my picture. "You can take a seat over there, and in the meantime Miss Swann if you could stand in front of the camera. Thank you."

Emma wasn't happy about being here either. The irritated look on her face basically spoke volumes about how she felt being here. At least she was showing more control, I on the other hand, had an actual RBF.

"You know the shrink is lying, right?" Emma asked Graham, but I doubt he would see it that way.

"To the right, please," the sheriff ordered. "Why would he lie?"

"The Mayor put him up to this. She's gotta have something on him. He's terrified of her like everyone else in this town."

"To the left. Regina may be a touch intimidating, but I don't think she'd go as far as a frame job."

"I'm starting to think otherwise," I spoke up from where I was sitting. "I swear if someone even disagrees with this woman their basically dead in her eyes. Everyone here is so afraid of her that they're willing to do anything to stay on her good side. I wonder where her reach ends in this town, or does she have her hands everywhere?"

"Well, she's the Mayor," Graham pointed out. "She has her hands in everything."

"Including the police force?" Emma asked, and by the sudden pause from the sheriff, I think Emma was right.

Before anyone of us could say anything else, we heard a cheerful voice calling out to us. Turns out Henry isn't afraid of coming to the sheriff's station to... well I'm not too sure what he's here for. An explanation? Just a short distance behind him, I could also see his teacher Miss Blanchard. I wonder why she was here?

"Henry! Henry, what are you doing here?" Graham asked.

"His mother told him what happened." Miss Blanchard answered for him.

"Of course she did," Emma groaned. "Henry, I don't know what she said-"

"You're a genius, and so are you, Alice!" Henry exclaimed.

"Little boy said what now?" I asked the group because I was clearly mishearing things now.

"I know what you two were up to," He told us before whispering. "You two were gathering intel for Operation Cobra."

"I'm sorry," Graham started to say. "I'm a bit lost."

"It's a need to know, Sheriff. And all you need to know is that Miss Blanchard's going to bail them out." Henry informed the older man. I would have laughed had it not been the fact that I heard him say that Miss Blanchard was bailing us out. I wasn't the only one surprised by the announcement.

"You are? Why?" Emma asked her. I came to stand just beside Emma as we both looked at her. I never thought she would come to help us like this, and yet for some odd reason, I'm not surprised either.

"I trust you two," She answered. I smiled at her because honestly, who in their right mind would trust me and Emma? We're a mess.

"Well, if you can uncuff us, we have something to do," Emma informed the sheriff, and by the sound of her voice, it sounded devious. I support it already.

Once we got out of jail and said our thank you's, we left Miss Blanchard and Henry. I tried to ask Emma where we were going, but she just ignored me and continued to walk. After ten minutes I gave up on asking her any more questions since it seemed like she didn't intend on answering me.

After walking for a couple of more minutes, we finally reached a hardware store. Emma went straight inside, and I chose to follow her out of pure curiosity at this point. What on earth could she ever want from a store like this, I will never know. Finally, we came to a stop in front of a chainsaw, and now not only was I confused, but I was also deeply concerned.

"Hey Em... whatcha lookin at?" I asked her as I came to stand right beside her.

"At the chainsaw," she told me, which was good because now I knew she hadn't turned into some kind of mute. No, she was just ignoring me earlier, like a jerk.

"Okay, that's cool and all, but why are we looking at the chainsaw," I said, pointing at it. That's when I noticed the price, and I slightly flinched away. "That cost $489.99, might as well say it cost $490.00."

"She was pretty selfish, wasn't she."

"I'm sorry?" I told her as I finally looked at Emma. She didn't bother looking at me instead, she kept looking at the chainsaw as she spoke.

"All I'm saying is that she was pretty rude, don't you think? I mean, she's hogging all of those apples for herself. Those big round juicy red apples." Emma told me, and all I could do was agree with her. My stomach seemed to agree as well since it started to growl. "It's just a shame someone hasn't taught her lesson, right, Al?"

"If you're suggesting that we sneak onto private property and cut down that beloved tree of hers, which could lead to us being thrown back in jail, then I only have one thing left to say... Can we buy a basket while we're at it? I wanna look extra when we chop down her tree."

It only took us five minutes to buy the equipment that we needed. Twenty to reach the mayor's office and four minutes for me to pick the apples that I wanted. After I got my basket filled to the brim with apples, I sat down a short distance away and watched as my best friend cut down a piece of the Evil Queen's apple tree. Meanwhile, I picked up an apple from my basket and began to eat it. Man, it sure was delicious.

Sadly this peaceful afternoon was soon ruined when the mayor came running out. Ah, who am I kidding? It got even better when Regina came flying out of her office, pissed as hell.

"What the hell are you doing?" she yelled at us as Emma threw down the chainsaw.

"Picking apples," I answered as I took another bite. "Do you want one?"

"You're out of your mind!"

"No, you are if you think a shoddy frame job is enough to scare us off. You're going to have to do better than that. You come after us one more time, We're coming back for the rest of this tree. Because, sister, you have no idea what I'm capable of." Emma told her as she grabbed my basket and started to walk away. I got up to follow her when I realized Regina was still looking at us.

"Hey, it's your move now dearie," I called out to her before following Emma out.

"Did you get all of the apples you wanted?" Emma asked me, which I only smiled back in reply. "Good, now let's head back to the inn."

If only it was that simple. As soon as we got back, we were greeted by none other than Granny, who told us to get lost. Okay, so she didn't say it like that, but it kind of felt like she did. I guess everyone really was terrified by the mayor. Sadly that meant me and Emma were back out in the street with nowhere to sleep. Since there was no other hotel in this town, it meant we had to sleep in the car. Great, right? No, because that meant I was going to sleep in a cramped little car, and it only got worse from there. The car, as it turns out, has a boot on it. Not a stylish Louis Vuitton boot, but an ugly metal boot. I HATE THIS TOWN.

To make matters worse, the mayor calls. She wants to speak to Emma about making peace or whatever. Deciding that the best thing to do was to let them hash it out alone, I stayed behind. Wishing my friend the best of luck, I got down to business on fixing our stuff. There was nothing I could do about the boot, but I could at least buy us some more undergarments, and a few other essentials. After that, I went straight to Granny's to get some dinner.

I sat down at the same place as this morning and order a cheeseburger with fries and a large coke. Within no time, I had my meal, and I was ready to eat. That is until Ruby interrupted me. The world really does hate me if it gets in the way of me and my food.

"I'm sorry, what did you say, Ruby?"

"That a Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome came in here about an hour after you left this morning," Ruby repeated with a flirtatious smile still in place. Why this woman is talking to me out of everyone else here, I don't know. Oh well, I might as well humor here with a conversation.

"Okay, that's great, but I have no idea who you're talking about," I informed her.

"Oh, that's right, you're new in town. Since we don't really have new people come to town, I forgot," Ruby explained to me. "Well, that just means I can start from the beginning."

The good thing that came out of Ruby going on and on about this man is that it meant I didn't have to talk. I spent the entire time eating and listening, which was fine by me. By the time Ruby left, I felt like I practically knew this man. Well, not really, more like I knew quite a bit about him. Apparently, he comes in every morning, and he was one of the few men Ruby hasn't been able to woo. This wasn't good because apparently, he makes good money, but no matter how hard she tries, he just doesn't seem to be interested. But he wasn't dating anyone either, well at least not any that Ruby knew of. That's when she started describing him to me. From what she said his voice was soft and sweet, he had a goatee, short black hair, tan skin, has a nice body, brown eyes, and he wears a black leather jacket most days. Well, if anything else, he sure did sound dreamy. Who knows maybe I'll get to meet him, but I guess it doesn't matter in the end, I'm not staying in this town forever. Plus I just saw Emma walk in with Henry and... Dr. Hopper? Why in the world... you know what I bet something crazy happened. I might as well go find out what happened this time.

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I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter... well until next time!


	3. Chapter 3: Putting down roots

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...Hi... sorry I'm late with the update but I hope this chapter will make up for it. By the way, I skipped one episode so this is 01x04. Like always I don't own OUAT or OUATW. I only have rights to my Oc. ENJOY!

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"_Every adventure requires a first step.__" - Cheshire Cat_

"We really need to find a place to stay, Em," I told the older woman as we sat in her car. No matter how hard I tried, I can never sleep peacefully in automobiles. They're too small and uncomfortable while I'm tall and easily bothered. Plus, Emma had promised that this would only be temporary, but so far it seems to be permanent. "I still can't believe they kicked us out of the inn."

"It doesn't matter anymore," Emma muttered. She hardly spoke since we got in the car; instead, she was focusing on the newspaper she had in her hand. There were a few red circles across the page but none of them seemed promising.

"Emma, this was just supposed to be temporary, so why are you looking for a job?"

"You know why," the blonde stated as she flipped to the next page. That really irritated me since it was her way of shutting me out and ending the conversation.

"No, I really don't, Em. We were only supposed to drop the kid off with his mom, then we decided to stay in order to make sure he was okay. I didn't mind because I wanted to know if he was safe, and he is, so why are we still here? Why look for a job, if we can just go back to Boston?"

"I can't just leave him like this. Look at his situation, Al, he's alone with-"

"His** mother**," I finished for her. "Emma, you may not like it, but Regina is his mother, and you don't have any right to say how she's supposed to raise him. You lost that right years ago when you gave him up for adoption."

Perhaps I was too harsh with my words, but it's true. Emma no longer has the right to make decisions when it comes to Henry. Emma chose not to respond as she kept looking through the newspaper with one hand and a flashlight in the other one. My guess was that she was still looking for a job or a place for us to live. Still, I'm surprised how far she's willing to go for this kid. At first, she wanted nothing to do with him, but now it appears that we won't be leaving anytime soon. Joy...

"You can always go back to Boston without me..." I heard her whisper to me. I looked at her as she kept scanning the newspaper in front of her, but even in the dim light, I could notice how nervous she is right now. So I punched her arm since she was being such an idiot. She yelped before asking, "What was that for?"

"For being stupid! There's no way I'm going to leave you here alone!"

"Why not? It's not like you haven't done it before!" she snapped back at me. It took me a moment to fully digest what she said, but when I did, I couldn't ignore how heavy my heart felt. It's true I constantly left Emma because of my job, but I never stayed away for long. As soon as I had the information I needed, I always raced back home so Emma wouldn't feel alone.

"Emma, you don't really think I left you all those times, right?" I asked her, feeling hurt that she would say such a thing.

"No... I don't," she responded as she finally put the newspaper down to look at me. "I know it was for work, and more importantly, to figure out who you are."

"Then why are you trying to get rid of me now?"

"I don't want you to leave, but I don't want to force you to stay somewhere you don't want to be. Especially when I know your close to figuring out who you are," she explained to me. Now I understand why she kept on suggesting that I leave her, it's because she's afraid of holding me back.

My job as a freelance writer allows me to go to place's most people can't dream of visiting. While I'm there, I investigate the region hoping something from that city might guide me to my missing memories. Before I left on my last assignment, I told Emma that I believed I was close to a breakthrough with my memory, but that wasn't the case.

"Em, you're not holding me back, I promise," I assured her, but she gave me a look as if she didn't believe me. "Emma, I didn't find anything during my last assignment. I haven't found anything related to my past in a year now, I just didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to know that I hit a dead end. The truth is... I've been losing hope that I'm ever going to recover my memories."

"Al, you get them back someday-"

"How? For so long, I've been looking for my family to try and understand who I once was, but all it's been doing is crushing me and separating me from you. The last thing I want is to lose you too. You're all I have left, Em."

"So, does that mean you'll stay in Storybrooke with me?"

The hopeful expression she had while she asked me this was simply heartbreaking, but it was her question that threw me off the most. I thought about her question for a while because did I really want to stay here? No, absolutely not. I don't like this town, nor do I like the people here, but I do love Emma. She's the only family I have left, and I refuse to leave her with all of these crazy people. Seriously just two hours ago we were searching for a missing John Doe who Henry kept claiming was Prince Charming. Later we find out his name is David, and he has a wife named Kathryn. You would think that was a happy ending, right? Well, the look on Mary Margarete's face said differently. Honestly, we keep getting dragged into some crazy situation, and it wouldn't sit well with me if I left Emma to deal with it all on her own.

"Yes, I'll stay in Storybrooke, but can you at least do me one favor?" I asked her as I tried to get comfortable once again. She smiled at me before asking what it was. "Let's take Mary Margaret's offer and stay at her place. I'm tired of sleeping in this stupid bug!"

"Hey!"

"Don't you hey me! Emma~ I'm too tall to sleep in the car!" I kept whining like a child. "Please~! I can't sleep in this car for another night!"

"Fine, let's go find Mary Margarete." she relented as she started the car.

Lucky for us, Mary Margarete still wanted us to move in, but the downside was that there was only one room left. That meant Emma and I had to share a bed. This didn't bother us too much, but the bed wasn't big, so it wasn't too comfortable to sleep in. Still, we've been through worse, and I rather share a bed then sleep in Emma's car for another night.

Once Emma and I made it clear that we were staying, we both realized that it was time for us to get the few possessions we own from our apartments. So the next morning we called a moving company to come to pack up our things and to send them to M&M's apartment. After that, we called our landlord to let him know that both of us were moving out. Since we were getting out of our contract a year early, we had to pay some cancelation fees, but it was worth it.

When we had the time, we spent it with Henry and M&M. Emma told me that I shouldn't call Mary Margarete M&M, but I couldn't help it. Her name was too long, so it was easier to shorten it to M&M, and the shorter woman didn't seem to mind, so I didn't see what the problem was. Also, Emma said that I could no longer see Henry without her supervision. Apparently, I'm a bad influence on the kid, so I can only talk to him when Emma is around. Even Regina and M&M said this which made me reevaluate my life choices.

Speaking about Henry, he was currently walking to school with Emma. I told Emma that I would meet up with her at Granny's since I wanted a few more minutes of sleep. I was so glad I decided to sleep in because if I didn't, I might have never had my dream.

_I was running through a maze filled with beautiful red roses. I could hear the guards in the distance as they pursued me. I knew I had to do something soon if I wanted to keep my head. Finally, when I was far enough from the guards, I took out a small cake that says, eat me. Taking a small bite from the pastry before placing the remainder in my bag, I began to shrink. As I turned smaller, I continued to run closer to the bushes so I could hide. I waited quite some time for the guards to pass before exiting the plant. Looking all around me, I realized that I didn't have much choice when it came to where I could go next. The queen must have placed guards everywhere, so the best plan was to lay low until I could escape. The only problem is that I didn't know where to hide. _

_Deciding to continue walking instead of staying at my current location, I turned the nearest corner. I kept walking for another twenty minutes until I found a mysterious forgotten lamp. It was beautiful, and the craftsmanship indicated that it came from another land, but not any I've been to. Suddenly, I could hear footsteps coming from the opposite direction, and even if I couldn't see the guards I didn't plan to wait for them to catch me. _

_Opening the lid to the lamp, I entered and closed it behind me. Staying silent until the guards left, I finally allowed myself to relax._

_"I'm assuming you're the reason I hear so much commotion outside?" a smooth voice said from behind me. Turning around and unsheathing my longsword at the same time, I faced my opponent. My sword nearly touched the skin on the side of his neck as I confronted the man. I couldn't see his face due to how dark it was inside the lamp, so I was even more on edge. If you can't see your opponent, but they have a perfect view of you, they clearly had the upper hand in the fight. I didn't just escape the queen of hearts to die now at the hands of this stranger._

_"Who are you?" I asked him as I kept my voice low yet harsh. "And what are you doing here?"_

_"Shouldn't I be asking you that since you entered my lamp?" _

_"How do I know you're not lying to me?" I asked him as I took a step closer and placing my sword directly on his throat. _

_"Allow me to prove it to you," he said, and slowly I removed my sword from his neck, but I still held it ready to strike if need be. I could hardly see him move, but soon enough more light filled the lamp. The entire lamp was decorated with objects from a far off land, and the man who stood there wore clothes that seemed to come from that same place. The man in question is tall with caramel skin, chocolate brown eyes, midnight black hair, his lips were full, his face was cleanly shaven, and even with his baggy shirt, I knew he was well toned underneath. He was gorgeous, to say the least, but I can't allow myself to get distracted by him and his good looks._

_"That still doesn't prove this lamp belongs to you," I announced as I lowered my sword._

_A smirk began to dance upon his face as he continued to speak, "What about this? Mistress mine, my will is thine tell me your wishes three."_

_"You're a genie!" I exclaimed as I sheathed my sword behind my back and approached the man. "I've never met one before. What's your name?"_

_The smirk on his face turned into a soft smile as he looked at me, "Cyrus, and yours, my Mistress?"_

_"Oh, there's no need to call me that," I laughed before continuing to introduce myself. "Ailish, but everyone in wonderland calls me Alice. It's an honor to meet you."_

_I held my hand out to shake his-_

I was awakened from my dream when the door swung open to my bedroom. Instantly forgetting my about dream and frightened that it might be an intruder, I grabbed the first thing I could reach for and faced the door. There stood Emma with a face that screamed annoyance as she looked at me.

"Yeah, because a hairbrush is going to hurt me, Al," Emma pointed out to me as she strode forward and snatched it out of my hand. Rolling my eyes at her, I got out of bed to find out why the older woman was in such a bad mood so early in the morning.

"My bad, I didn't realize it was you, and I just randomly grabbed the nearest object I could get. By the way, why are you here? I thought you were going to walk Henry to school, and we would meet up at Granny's afterward?"

"Yeah, and I waited for you, but you never came. Look at the time, Al. It's 10 am, you've been asleep almost all morning."

Turning to look at the time, it read 10 am, as Emma said. I could have sworn I put the alarm on, but I must have slept through it. Although that doesn't explain why Emma was so upset. Looking back at her, I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary other than her scowl.

"Want to explain why you're upset," I asked. "Although, I feel like I could guess it had to do with a certain Mayor."

"Yeah, but we can talk over breakfast," Emma added before turning to leave. "I got you your favorite."

"THIS IS WHY I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!" I yelled at my best friend as I ran out of the room. As I began to devour my breakfast, Emma filled me in on the lastest turn of events. From Graham to Regina and finally the pregnant girl she had a talk with. Now I understood why she was irritated. "First, I would like to say that taking Graham's offer would probably be a good idea. I know we have enough money to be comfortable for a while, but it's going to run out at some point, and we'll need more money if we want to stay."

"I don't know?" Emma said, now looking nervous instead of irritated. Knowing exactly what was wrong with her, I decided to strike while the iron was still hot.

"Em, don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Run from this," I sighed. "You want to be with Henry, but you don't want to put down roots. The moment you do, it will become too real for you, and you're scared of that. I noticed how many help wanted ads you've circled, I know you want to stay. I mean, isn't that the reason we moved in with M&M? So you could be with Henry."

"I know, I know, and you're right, it's just that I'm scared I'm going to mess things up again. Almost everyone I've ever loved has left me, and I just don't know what to do, Alice! I don't want to risk getting comfortable only for it to end horribly again."

"Emma, like you said, almost everyone has left you, but I haven't," I pointed out to her. "All of those people were selfish idiots who never deserved someone as amazing and strong like you. I also know that you are doing nothing, but making Henry happy by being here, and isn't that what matters most to you?"

"You're right," Emma finally said, agreeing with me. "I'm just letting Regina get the best of me, and that's the last thing I should do."

"Exactly! Now, moving to a different topic... do you really think you should have told that girl to keep the baby?"

"Alice!"

"What?" I asked, putting my hands up in surrender. "How is she going to take care of a baby, and keep a job at the same time. Do you really think low-income labor will be enough for her and the baby? Kids aren't cheap and have you given any thought on how she's going to care for it while trying to hold down a job. Nannies, babysitters, and daycares are expensive. For daycare alone, it cost $972 **a month**. Do you really think she has that type of money as a single mother with no one there to back her up?"

"No, but it's possible for her to get help. It's not completely hopeless that she can't make it."

"No, but you need to think what's best for the kid." I pointed out to her as I put my hands down at my side.

"I am, and that's the kid's mother, and I'm sure there is no better place in this world for it," Emma replied with a hard look in her eyes.

"Fine, let's just agree to disagree then."

"Fine," Emma said as she changed topics. "By the way, who's Ailish?"

"What?" I asked her, freezing in place. I felt a headache coming on for some reason by the sound of that name. "Where did you hear that?"

"I heard you say it when you were asleep. What were you dreaming about?"

Staying silent for a moment to try and think back to the dream I just had did nothing to help my headache. All I remember is something about roses and that I had to run. Although the name she said sounds familiar to me as if I've always known it, but for the life of me, I don't know why it sounds so familiar.

"I don't know, I can't remember the dream but I feel like something important happened in it," I said as I felt my heart drop. "As for the name Ailish, I have no idea who that is."

For the rest of the day, my headache remained as I continually tried to remember what my dream was about. Not even pills could take away the pounding in my head. Eventually, I gave up and took a bath to wash all of my worries away. It wasn't until I fell asleep that night when my headache finally receded. By the next day, I felt good as new. The best part is that; mine and Emma's belongings had finally arrived. M&M was confused when she noticed the few belongings we had but I allowed Emma to explain that to her while I went to change clothes.

It felt nice being able to change into something new. I chose to wear a long sleeve white shirt with the top three buttons undone and blue jeans with my white Adidas sneakers that had black stripes. I left my necklace on because no matter what I outfit I wear, I refuse to take it off for even a second. Next, I put on some deodorant and perfume while I ignored my wild curly black hair. There was no taming that beast, so why even try. I heard a knock at the front door just as I left the room.

"Did you guys invite someone over?" I asked them as I moved to the door. Both of them shook their heads, so with that answer, I opened the door to find out who it was. On the other side of the door, I saw the infamous Mr. Gold.

"Hello, Miss Thorn, my name is Mr. Gold."

"I know who you are we've met before," I reminded the older man as I step to the side, allowing him in. "Please enter."

"Thank you," he said as he entered the apartment. Looking around, he found the other two women staring at him, and he briefly smiled. "Ah, Miss Swan, just the woman I was looking for. I have a proposition for you. I, uh… I need your help. I'm looking for someone."

Emma and I looked at each other, shocked that Mr. Gold would come to her for help. Emma was about to speak, but she paused when she noticed Mary Margarete still standing there. We all turned to look at the shorter woman hoping she would get the memo.

"You know what? I'm going to go jump in the bath." M&M declared as she went to the other room. Knowing that we would no longer be overheard, we went back to the topic at hand.

"I have a photo," The older man announced as he took it out of his coat pocket. "Her name is Ashley Boyd, and she's taken something quite valuable of mine. "

I took the picture from the older man to take a look at it. Realizing who she is, I turned to the blonde, "Emma, didn't you tell me you met a girl named Ashley yesterday?"

"Let me see," Emma held her hand out, and I passed the picture to her. The look in her eyes was the only confirmation I needed to know that this was the same girl Emma had spoken to yesterday. The look of disappointment on her face was evident, but she quickly wiped it off, turning her attention back to Gold. "So, why don't you just go to the police?"

"Because she's a confused young woman. She's pregnant. Alone and scared. I don't want to ruin this young girl's life. But I just want my property returned." He explained to us, but the way he said it sent a chill up my spine. Something was wrong here; however, I couldn't figure out what it is. Just like when I first met him, I felt something off about the older man as he spoke. Nothing he said felt sincere, it was as if he had an ulterior motive we just didn't know about... yet.

"What did she steal," I asked the man. Finally, he turned to look me in the eye, and for a split second, it was as if it was just the two of us. Then as if nothing had happened, he was back to normal.

"Well, one of the advantages of Miss Swann not being the police, the discretion." he pointed out before looking back at my friend. "Let's just say it's a precious object and leave it at that."

"When did you see her last?" Emma questioned him, moving to stand beside me.

"Last night. That's how I got this," he said as he showed us the cut on the side of his head. I don't know why, but it brought me a bit of joy to see him injured.

"Got to hand it to her, she has a mean swing," I laughed. That earned me an elbow to my side from Emma. Taking the rather aggressive hint that I should stay silent, I allowed the other two people in the room to continue their conversation.

"It's so unlike her. She was quite wound up, rambling on and on about changing her life. I have no idea what got into her." Although neither one of us made a face, we knew where she got that idea from. Apparently, Emma's little speech yesterday must have inspired the younger woman in the wrong way. "Miss Swan, please help me find her. My only other choice is the police, and I don't think anyone wants to see that baby born in jail, do they?"

"No, of course not," Emma replied stiffly since the conversation was getting a little too close to home.

"So, you'll help me then?"

"I'll help her," Emma announced, making sure the man understood where she stands.

"Grand."

"Hey, Emma. I was thinking we-" Henry started to say as he walked through the door only to realize the situation he walked into.

"Hey, Henry," Gold greeted as he tried to sound pleasant to the boy. "How are you?"

"Okay?"

"Good, give my regards to your mother, and good luck you two," he said, the last part of his statement is directed to me and Emma. After that parting statement, he took his leave from the apartment.

"Do you know who he is?" Henry asked us after he closed the door behind Mr. Gold.

"Yup," I said, popping the p. "Mr. Gold, the man that owns this town, right?"

"Yeah, but we all know that," He said dejectedly. "I meant in the book. I'm still trying to figure out who he was in his other life."

"Yeah, kid, for right now, let's focus on the big picture," I told him. "By the way why are you here?"

"My mom's gone till five, so I thought we could hang out."

"Ah, kid, I wish I could," Emma said sadly. "But there's something we have to do."

As we left the apartment, we quickly explain to Henry what was happening. Instead of being worried, the kid was excited about what was happening, stating that he wanted to help. That annoyed me since what was happening was serious. The woman is in danger of going to jail and having her baby taken from her. Not only that, but she chose to steal from the most powerful man in town. This was not the time to play.

"Please let me help," Henry kept asking as we made our way to the car.

"No! No, it could be dangerous." Emma told him as my patience began to wear thin from the argument. Emma needed to take control of the situation before I lose my cool.

"The pregnant maid is dangerous?"

"She assaulted Mr. Gold."

"Cool!"

"This isn't a game, she's desperate."

"How do you know?" Henry asked her, and I chose at this moment to finally but in.

"Listen, Henry, she doesn't have to explain herself to you," I reminded the child before turning to Emma. "We are wasting time, let's go."

"You're right Al, let's go find her," Henry exclaimed as he ran ahead of us.

"Oh, no no-no-no. There are no lets. You can't come with us." Emma tried to tell him, but the kid was too stubborn for his own good.

"Then, I'll look for her myself."

"Then I'll find you, and I'll bring you back."

"Then you wouldn't be helping the maid."

"I am just trying to be responsible here," Emma explained to the boy, but he refused to listen to reason.

"And I'm just trying to spend time with you," Henry said as he opened the car door, but I slammed it shut before he could get inside.

"This is not a game Henry," I snapped at the boy. "This woman is scared and all alone right now. She could go to jail for what she's done, and she should consider herself lucky that Gold hasn't involved the police. Emma doesn't need any distractions right now, and if you try to get in the way, **I'll find you and drag you to your mother, and you can say goodbye to Emma. **Do you understand?"

"Yes," Henry sighed, looking down at his feet.

"Good, now I'm going to walk you home because quite frankly, I don't trust you." I turned to look at my best friend speaking again, "Call me when you have a lead, this won't take long."

I grabbed Henry by the shoulder and gently steered him in the direction of his house. After 10 minutes of walking in silence, I decided to talk to the kid. "I won't apologize for yelling at you because you deserve it, but I want you to know that Emma is trying to set a good example for you, and you can't guilt-trip her into doing things with you. That's wrong and completely unfair."

"I just wanted to spend some time with her," Henry muttered under his breath. The kid looked so sad it was hard not to feel bad for him. I can understand why he wanted to spend so much time with Emma, she was his mother. He wanted to get to know her and understand her as well as break this stupid curse. The problem is that there is no line or boundary between them, and that can get Emma into trouble.

"I know, but there are certain things that you can't get into," I tried to explain, although he still didn't seem to understand. So, I decided to explain it differently, "Henry, do you help your mom with her job as Mayor?"

"No..."

"And why not?"

"Because it's not my job, and I'm just a kid. I can't do the same things that she does."

"Exactly," I said, agreeing with him. I made us come to a halt and moved to stand in front of him as I knelt down to face him. "Emma has a cool job, she's a bounty hunter, but it's also dangerous. When people become desperate, they are capable of doing terrible things. You may not think so because the woman is pregnant, but if she's capable of knocking down a grown man, then that means she's not afraid to hurt someone else. Your mother can't take care of you and do her job at the same time, so please let her do her job."

"Okay," Henry finally agreed, and by the look on his face, I'm positive he won't interfere any longer. I gently pat his head and guide him to his house. By the time we arrived at the gate, Henry finally looked up at me. "Alice, do you mind staying with me for a while?"

"Why not,'' I shrugged, and together we went to the front steps of his house, and sat down. Trying to find a way to cheer him up, I started to talk to him about his stupid curse theory.

"So, I have a question for you?" I asked, gaining his attention. "How many characters have you figured out are here in Storybrooke?"

"Almost everyone, but there are a few that I'm not sure about." Henry pointed to me, "Like you, for example, I don't know if you're in the story or not."

"Well, how about we figure that out."

The smile he gave me was enough to go through with this nonsense. Taking a moment to get his book out, he flipped through it to show me a list of characters he has written down on a scrap of paper. He took it out and gave me the paper to look at. All of the names were female characters from fairy tale stories. Looking through the names, I noticed a few happened to be crossed out while others had question marks. On the list, I could see Esmerelda, Giselle, Marian, Megara, and Alice.

"Okay, I recognize a few of these characters, but there are a few that I don't know. First, who's Giselle?"

Henry opened the book to the very beginning, and he introduced me to the first princess, the Enchanted forest knew. Apparently, she was well-loved and became friends with many individuals including the fearsome giants. The princess, wanting to journey to a new land to escape an arranged marriage, made a deal with her giant friends. She would give them a golden egg that would later become the infamous goose well known in the story of Jack and the Bean Stalk. In return, they would give her a magical bean that would open a portal to a new land that no one could follow her too.

"Wow, That's very different from the fairy tales I usually hear," I mention to Henry. "Okay, what about Alice, who is she?"

"You don't know her?" Henry asked me, looking bewildered. "I could have sworn you would've known her."

"Why, because we share the same name," I joked, but Henry shook his head to disagree.

"No, because she's Alice from Wonderland," He explained as he turned to her story. When I looked at the girl in the picture, I was very confused because she looked completely different from the stories I know.

"But I thought Alice was a kid with straight blonde hair. The woman in the picture has wild curly black hair, and she's holding a sword." I scoffed, not believing it's the same character I've seen in the Disney movie.

"Because what you see on TV is only part of the story," Henry explained. "She has a very complicated past, and her name was originally-"

Henry was cut off when my phone started ringing. I saw Emma's name pop up on my screen, and deciding it must be important if she's calling me in the middle of a job, I answered the phone. "Hey, Em, what's up?"

Quickly Emma told me that she found the father of Ashley's baby and that she wants to meet up after she confronts him. She asked if I could meet her in front of our apartment building, and I agreed to be there soon. Telling Henry that I had to leave, I watched the boy enter his home before running back to the apartment. It took me a good while to get there on foot, but the time I arrived, Emma was barely about to park.

Getting in the car as soon as it came to a stop, I turned to my friend, still breathing hard, "What... happened?"

Emma told me the whole story about what happened to Ashley, the baby, and how Gold was involved. Now Emma was having difficulty finding her because it seemed as if the girl really did vanish into thin air. No one was willing to help her keep the baby, so Emma had no clue who the girl would turn to for help. Not even Ashley's stepmother or stepsisters would lend her a hand.

"Doesn't she have any friends?" I asked Emma. "I mean, she has to have someone in her life."

"No, the only one I can think of is... crap!" Emma yelled as she started the car and took off. Confused by what was happening, I asked the older woman if she figured something out. "Ruby."

"Ruby?"

"She told me about Sean being the father and where to find him, yet she didn't tell me about the deal. Meaning she was hiding it from me, and she might know where Ashley is. She may even be protecting her."

"So if we find Ruby-"

"We'll find Ashley," Emma finished as she sped down the street towards Granny's.

"What about Gold?" I asked her.

"What about him?"

"She made a deal with him, Em," I reasoned. "She'll have to give the baby if the document is official."

"Please, we both know that document will never stand in court," the blonde argued. "No judge will keep a child from his mother."

"True, but she did hit Gold."

"She was desperate and afraid!"

"Still, she has no money, no support, and she hit the man who owns this town," I listed. "If the first two isn't enough for a judge to take the baby away, then the last one is. Gold has enough power to sway the judge to his side."

"Are **you** on his side?"

"No, I don't want to be responsible for the separation of a child and his mother. All I'm saying is if she wants to keep her baby, she'll have to face Gold, and I don't think she can do that alone. From what I've heard about the man is that no one breaks a deal with. If she wants to keep the baby, she'll have to be the first, and that could be dangerous."

"She won't be alone," Emma muttered as we arrived. Not wanting to waste time, she went in as I jumped to the passenger seat. That way, when she has the information she needs, Emma can jump in the car, and we can leave.

It didn't take Emma long to come back, informing me that Ashley was headed to Boston. Knowing that time wasn't on our side, I took off down the street, hoping we could catch her before she gets too far.

As we drove down the road, I couldn't help but think back to Ashley's situation. I may not know Gold, but, I have this strange feeling that if we assist the soon to be mother break the deal, there will be consequences. Unless we do something that can change his mind...

"Em, I might have an idea to sway Gold to our side,"

"That will have to wait," Emma said, pointing to a car at the side of the road. "That's Ruby's car."

Driving right up to the car, Emma jumps out only to find Ashley missing. Getting out to help her look for the young girl, I run to the other side of the vehicle. There sitting on the grass was Ashley, who looked distressed.

"I found her!" I yell as I run to the girl and kneel down beside her, "Ashley, are you okay?"

"THE BABY IS COMING!"

"EMMA!" I call out to the other woman. A moment later, I see her running up beside us inquiring; if Ashley is injured. "NO, BUT THE CAR IS COMING! HELP ME GET THE BABY TO ASHELY!"

"...What?"

"THE BABY IS COMING!" we yell at Emma. Finally, understanding the situation, Emma took charge and helped me get Ashley to the car. Once we were settled, we raced back to Storybrooke, calling the Hospital to alert them about our arrival.

"No! No, no, no," Ashely started to say. "Take me to Boston. I can't go back there."

"Oh no, we don't have four hours. Trust me – I know, Al keep driving," Emma ordered. I wasn't planning on turning around, so instead of replying with a sarcastic response, I kept driving to the hospital.

"I can't go back there! Please, he's going to take my baby!"

"We won't let that happen," Emma stated, sparing me a glance. I gave a nod in response because as I told Emma earlier, I believe I have a way to get Gold not to press charges and to leave the baby with Ashley. "Do you know what you're asking for? If you keep this child, are you really ready?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah?" I asked the girl. "Listen, this is a life-changing decision for not only you but the kid too. You can't answer it with a yeah."

"Ashley, are you sure you want to do this?" Emma asked. "Because I wasn't."

"You weren't?"

"Nope. If you want to give this kid its best chance, it's going to be with someone who is ready, so know what that means. Your whole life is going to change, and once you decide that it's yours, running away can't happen. You have to grow up, and you can't ever leave. Understand?"

"Yes, I want my baby," Ashley said confidently in return.

Sometime later we found ourselves at the hospital. At the moment it was just Emma and I in the waiting room. Neither one of us had much to say since we arrived so we settled into a tense silence. We were worried about the baby and Ashley but we also knew that soon enough we would have to face Gold. Emma had tried to ask me about my idea on how to stop Gold but I told her to allow me to handle it. Emma was good at sneaking around and finding people while I excelled at escaping terrible situations and getting what I wanted.

"Miss Swan, Miss Thorn," The doctor called out to us. "The baby is a healthy six-pound girl, and the mother is doing fine."

"What lovely news," Mr. Gold proclaimed as he waltzed into the waiting room. "Excellent work, Miss Swan. Thank you for bringing me my merchandise."

Emma stepped forward to confront the man, but I stopped her before she could get close. Understanding that I had the situation taken care of, Emma nodded her head and left me with Gold. Turning around, I notice the older man nearby getting a cup of coffee. Figuring that this was the best time to broach the conversation, I approached the man.

"Well, well. It must be my lucky day. Care for a cup, Miss Thorn?"

"No, I'm full, considering all of the bullcrap you've been dealing out lately," I said as I stood in front of the man to face him. "How come you didn't tell us that the merchandise was, in fact, the baby?"

"Well because, at the time, Miss Swan didn't need to know, and I thought it would be more effective if she found out for herself." Gold explained to me. "After seeing Ashley's hard life, I thought it would make sense. I also thought Miss Swan would understand considering she went through something similar."

"That's where you're wrong. Emma had no choice but to give Henry away, but Ashley still has a chance. However, that no longer matters since we aren't going to let you take her child."

"Actually, we have an agreement, and my agreements are always honored. If not, I'm going to have to involve the police, and that baby is going to end up in the system. Now that would be a pity. Emma didn't enjoy her time in the system, did she?"

"No, she didn't, which is why I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen."

"I like your confidence Miss Thorn, it's charming, but all I have to do is press charges. She did, after all, break into my shop."

"Yes, to steal a contract, so she could keep her baby," I pointed out. "We both know that no jury in the world will put a woman in jail, with the only reason for breaking and entering was to keep her child. I'm willing to bet that the contract won't stand up in court. Are you? Not to mention what might come out about you in the process. Somehow, I suspect, there is more to you than a simple pawnbroker. Unless you want to bypass that and form a new contract."

There was a moment of silence that passed between us after what I said. Mr. Gold looked at me as if he was trying to piece together a puzzle. I held my ground, not hesitating in the slightest as I looked back at him. I knew just by looking at him that he was the type of man that if you gave an inch to, he would take an ell. I needed to be mindful when speaking to him.

"I like you, Miss Thorn. You're not afraid of me, and there is something about you that's different from those I have faced in the past. I'd rather have someone like you on my side," Gold told me as he took one step forward. "What contract would you like to make?"

"You set the terms," I replied. "Although it was foolish, Ashley did agree to the contract willing and decided to break it. Now, Emma and I have to cover for her due to her past misjudgment. Also, I don't want to be in bad terms with you Gold. You're a powerful man, with a lot a pull, and you could be useful to us in the future. Emma is already on the Mayor's bad side, and I rather not have the two of you at each other's necks as well."

"I must say, Miss Thorn, that there are not many women like you. So blunt, intelligent, brave, and yet compromising," Mr. Gold remarked. "Very well then, I will allow Miss Boyde to keep her child if Miss Swan does a favor for me in the future."

"What favor?" I asked the man. I knew Emma would do it if need be, but I don't want Emma to do something that will bring her problems later on.

"I don't know, but once I come up with something, I'll let you know. Now for you, since you were the one who proposed a new contract. I want you to work for me at my pawnshop starting tomorrow morning at 8 in the morning."

I was upset I would have to wake up early but for the most part, I was confused about why the older man would want me to work for him. I don't understand how having me work for him would benefit him, but I did have my suspicions.

"Although the paycheck does sound nice, I can't help but feel that there is something else going on here," I pointed out. "I don't know if it's to keep me close in order to keep tabs on Emma, or something else. In any case, I accept."

"Very well, we have a deal."

Once the deal was struck, Gold left the hospital, and I went to congratulate the new mother. Ashley, still nervous about Gold, could hardly smile until I told her the good news. Happy that she could keep the baby, she promised to repay her debt to us in any way that she could, but the only thing Emma and I wanted in return was her happiness. After that, we left so she could get some rest. Once in the car, I told Emma the whole story about Gold and the new contract.

"I didn't want Ashley to feel guilty, that's why I didn't tell you sooner."

"It's fine, but are you sure you want to work for him?" Emma asked me as she drove down the road.

"Em, don't worry, I need a job since we're going to stay here in Storybrooke, plus..." I started, trying to find the best way to say what needed to be said. "This could benefit us in many ways."

"How?"

"Leave that to me, you worry about calling the Sheriff and getting that job. It's time we put down some roots, Emma."

* * *

I hope this chapter did not disappoint you guys. In any case, the next update will be sometime soon.


	4. Chapter 4: Bunny Rabbit

Hey Guys!

I'm back with a new chapter that will hopefully shed some more light on Alice and her past! By the way, I took some inspiration from the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland (live-action) since they had a better set up for most of the characters. More content is coming soon so be on the lookout!

Also, I do not own OUAT. I only own my Oc.

* * *

"_Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!" - Alice_

_"Where are you from Cyrus?" I asked the man as we sat down to drink tea. We were still in his lamp since it wasn't safe yet to venture out. I didn't want to risk going outside until I knew for sure that the Queen of Hearts wouldn't catch me. _

_"Is it that obvious that I am not from this land?" he chuckled in return. _

_"Well... perhaps not to someone else but for myself it is obvious. I have been to many lands on quite a few different adventures. So it's clear to me when someone doesn't originate from Wonderland."_

_"I see, well you are correct, I am not from this land," Cyrus admitted with a smile gracing his charming face. "I come from Agrabah."_

_"Agrabah," I try sounding out. It was an odd name, to say the least, but it wasn't too troublesome to pronounce. "What's it like over there?"_

_"It's beautiful, with a rich culture," Cyrus smiled before looking down at his cup of tea with a sad expression. "I haven't been there in some time..."_

_"How long has it been?"_

_"I don't know... perhaps a couple of centuries. Since I can't leave the lamp unless my master summons me for a wish, all I can do is wait."_

_"You mean you're stuck in here? What if you run out of food or water?"_

_"Not to worry, the lamp provides me with anything I might need," Cyrus explains to me, but the smile on his face doesn't reach his eyes. "So, Ailish, where are you from?"_

_Instead of answering his question, I stood up from my seated position to grab my cloak. I had taken it off earlier when Cyrus was explaining the concept of wishes. What the rules are and what to be wary of. He also told me that the 'rubies' I have are equal to the number of wishes I was given. Currently, I have the three rubies in my coin purse for safekeeping._

_Once my cloak and sword were back on, I quickly left the lamp. Cyrus tried to stop me, but I knew I couldn't stay any longer. Once I was outside the lamp, I reached into my satchel and took out a bottle of clear liquid. I took a tiny sip before placing it back in my bag. Within seconds I grew back to my regular size and got to work. _

_Looking around, I noticed that night has fallen, and now would be the perfect time to escape. Pulling the hood of my cloak over my head to hide my face, I bent down to grab the lamp. Placing it inside of my bag carefully before sealing it and taking off._

_Thankfully since it was night time, it was a lot easier to escape since my clothes can blend in easier into the background. My outfit mostly consisted of a maroon and black leather vest and pants with a black cloak, and my satchel. _

_Quickly I made my way through the maze, and I left the palace grounds of the Queen of Hearts. I kept running until I found a hidden trail that I usually use to escape the queen. Once I knew I was safe, I took the lamp out of my bag and rubbed it. Within seconds Cyrus appeared in front of me with a bewildered expression gracing his handsome face._

_"I don't understand?"_

_Smiling at the man that I had only met a few hours ago, I couldn't help but feel happy, "I have no need for magic."_

_"What?"_

_"I know what magic does to people, so I tend to stay away from it. I don't want your wishes because I know magic __**always **__comes at a price," I explain with a sad smile. "But if you want a chance at freedom and a friend, I'm more than happy to help."_

_**Buzzzzz Bingggggg Buzzzzzz Bingggggg**_

My eyes snapped open at the sound of my alarm ringing. I shut it off before Emma could smack me. She had a nasty habit of hitting me whenever my alarm sounds off for more than thirty seconds. I didn't want to repeat that so early in the morning.

Getting out of bed as quietly as I can, I walk to the dresser to get my clothes for the day. I quickly took a shower and changed into my outfit for the day. It was a long-sleeve dark gray shirt with dark blue jeans and knee-high black boots. I made sure that my necklace was outside of my shirt before leaving the bathroom. After grabbing my black jacket and cereal bar, I left the apartment.

I have plenty of time to make it to the pawnshop, so I didn't bother taking Emma's car. Plus, I had gotten used to walking around town instead of driving a car. Once I was close to the shop, I checked the time on my phone. I still had a couple of minutes before I had to enter, so I took a moment to think about the dream I had.

There were so many emotions in that one dream. Even if I could hardly remember what my dream was about I can still feel every emotion. I wonder if it's connected to my past. If it is...

I need to get to work.

Entering the shop at 8 o'clock, I noticed that my employer was nowhere to be seen. Not knowing what to do, I waited in front of the cash register. All around me, I could see different things, some odd, others creepy, and a few beautiful. There was one thing in particular; that caught my attention.

It looks like an ewer from the middle east. It was quite beautiful and almost familiar...

"Do you like it?" a voice asked me from behind. I turn to face the man who would now be my boss.

"Yes, is it a 19th century Middle Eastern tinned copper ewer?" I asked the man as I approached him.

"It is," He answered, looking a bit impressed. "It seems you have quite a bit of knowledge about antiques."

"Well, it is a hobby of mine, so at the very least, I won't be out of my depth working for you."

"Well, that is a good thing at the very least. Speaking of which, let's get to the topic at hand. Starting today, you are working for me here at the pawnshop. You will be doing quite a few things for me like dusting the antiques when there are no customers, man the cash register, sweep the floors, and close the shop when I need you to. If by any chance, I need you to take care of the shop while I take care of something or run an errand for me, I expect you to do so. If you break anything, it will come out of your cheque. That also goes for any future contracts I may have."

"Alright, what about my hours and pay?"

"Opening to Closing and lunch breaks will be at 12:00 to 1:00. If you need to leave early, that is fine, just let me know. As for your pay, I think $10 per hour is sufficient. Don't you?"

"That's fine," I said, agreeing with the man. "So, where do you want me to start?"

I quickly realized that working for Mr. Gold is boring. I thought it would be more exciting than this, but all I did was clean and handle the cash register. It's now been two days since I started working for the man, and all I wanted to do was go home already. Sadly it wasn't time for lunch yet, so I couldn't meet up with Emma or M&M.

"Something wrong Miss Thorn?" Mr. Gold inquired as he left the back room and joined me at the cash register. One of the rules he told me is that unless he permits me, then by no means am I allowed to enter the back of the shop. I didn't mind, but it did awaken my curiosity about what's back there.

"No, I'm just bored out of my mind. At my last job, I got to travel the world, but now I stuck in a tiny little shop with no one to communicate with."

"I take great offense to that Miss Thorn," Gold said as he rounded the counter to stand on the other side. "I'm right here, aren't I? You can speak to me."

"Alright then, tell me about yourself."

"Well, there is not much to say. I am a simple businessman-"

"Stop," I said with a smile, cutting him off. "If you're going to lie, then I don't want to speak to you."

Returning my smile with one of his own, Mr. Gold quickly raised one of his hands in surrender. He chuckled before lowering his hand to continue speaking, "I don't know what you expect from me, Miss Thorn. What I said is true."

"I doubt it. I may not have Emma's superpower when it comes to detecting lies, but there is no way a man like you could be described as simple."

"I'll take that as a compliment Miss Thorn."

"By the way, if you don't mind, can you call me Alice?"

"Of course, only if you tell me a little bit about yourself."

"Alright, um... I'm 27 years old, I used to work as a freelance journalist. I have been to at least ten different countries, and I like bunnies." I answered with a shrug of my shoulders.

"I did not take you for a woman who would like such charming creatures."

"I can't believe you called a bunny charming," I jokingly said to the older man. "I have to admit I am an odd individual but I will rather be odd than normal."

We spoke for sometime after that, only stopping when a customer would come in the shop. When lunchtime came, I left with Emma to go eat at Granny's. After we finished eating, I went straight back to the shop. As soon as I got back, I went to talk to the older man.

Oddly enough, I liked speaking to him. He was rather funny in an odd sort of way, and for some reason, I felt like I knew him from somewhere. That can't be the case given that Mr. Gold has never left Storybrooke, and this is the first time I've been to this town. Perhaps I met someone similar to him in the past. I could have, it is a small world after all when you think about it.

Other than work, life has finally slowed down. It was now Monday, moreover Emma's first day at work as a deputy to the sheriff's department. She was kind enough to drop me off at work before taking off herself. When I entered, it was to find Mr. Gold at the register.

"Good morning," I greeted Gold as I made my way to him.

"Good morning Miss Thorn; you seem cheery this morning."

"Well, I'm as cheery as one can be given that I forgot to eat breakfast this morning."

"How did that happen?"

"Oh, Emma just became the deputy, and she dropped me off. I didn't have time to grab anything to eat." I yawned while I took off my jacket and slung it over the counter. "Oh well, I'll just have to wait until lunch if I want to eat."

"Now that won't do, my dear. What is your favorite breakfast?" He asked me, and once I answered him, he went to the back room. Within the next few seconds, I caught onto what he was doing.

"I never knew how sweet you could be, but you didn't have to do that," I said as he came back into the room.

"Not to worry, my dear, I'm quite famished myself. You know where Granny's is located, correct?"

"Yes, I go there all the time. Do you want me to head over there now?" I asked him as I grabbed my jacket and put it on once again.

"Yes, by the time you arrive, the food should be done," he said while taking out some cash. "And this is for the food. It should cover everything but if there is any leftover feel free to get something else."

"Thank you, Mr. Gold."

Leaving the pawnshop, I made my way down to Granny's Diner. It didn't take long to arrive, but once I entered the diner, I saw Ruby looking my way and waving me forward. Approaching the other woman quickly to find out what she needed, I was surprised to see a blush littering her cheeks.

"Ruby, are you okay?"

"Yes, and you won't believe who I just saw," Ruby exclaimed, her smile growing wider by the second.

"Who?"

"Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome," Ruby giggled, but she noticed the confused look on my face and her own turned sour. "Don't you remember?"

"No... am I supposed to?"

"Yes! I told you about him the other week."

The other week? Hm... oh, that's right, she did tell me about him. I was waiting for Emma at the diner, and Ruby kept me company with the latest gossip. She told me about a man who she was attracted to, but for some reason, he didn't give her the time of day.

"Right, sorry about that, a lot has happened recently."

"You know, you guys are always getting into some kind of trouble in town." Ruby pointed out to me much to my displeasure.

"Well, it's not like we asked for it, but I guess it's what happens when your best friend has a kid who comes from a weird town." I pointed out to the waitress, "By the way, you were telling me about your man."

"Oh, right, so he came here not too long ago-"

"Ruby! Stop holding up that poor girl, she's waiting for her food. Get back to work!"

"Alright, Granny!" Ruby yelled back at her grandmother. "Sorry, I'll tell you more about him later. Will I see you after work?"

"Most likely, by the way, here's what I owe you," I said as I handed her Mr. Gold's money. After our goodbye's I left the diner to head back to the pawnshop. I didn't even take five steps outside before a huge tremor shook the ground.

"What the hell was that?"

Not taking any chances, I hurried back to the pawnshop. As soon as I entered the shop, I called out to Gold. I doubt he's hurt, but with that tremendous tremor from earlier, I'm not sure.

"Miss Thorn, are you well?" I hear the older man ask as he walks out from the back room. Unknowingly I let out a breath of air once I saw my boss.

"Yes, I'm fine. Do you happen to know what that was? I thought at first; it was an earthquake, but it was too short to be one, in my opinion. "

"I made a few phone calls while you were gone, and it seems like the mine has become unstable, so it collapsed."

"This town has a mine?"

"Yes, it does. Curious town, isn't it?" Gold stated with a sly smile. Almost as if he knew something nobody has caught onto. Before I could voice my opinion, he spoke again. "Now, let's eat."

Hours later, in the middle of cleaning, I couldn't help but think back to what happened earlier today. Emma informed me about the mines and everything else that transpired this morning. I have to say I don't envy Emma or her new job. While she has to deal with nothing but headaches, I've been blessed with bliss. I just clean and handle the cash register. Nothing annoying, unlike Emma, who has to deal with madam mayor every now and then. Compared to her, Mr. Gold is a saint. Honestly, I don't understand why everyone is so against him. I mean sure, he owns the entire town, and he can be a bit demanding, but that's nothing compared to Regina. The more time I spend with Gold, the more I feel like I'm speaking to an old friend.

However, something is holding me back. It's almost like a tiny voice is screaming at me that it's a trap. I feel like it's that moment before the other shoe drops, but I also feel like Mr. Gold won't hurt me. I feel conflicted, and I don't know why.

"ALICE!"

Startled by the sound of my name being yelled, I look up to see Emma racing towards me. Soon enough, Gold comes from the backroom to check what's going on.

"Miss Swan what-"

"Alice, is Henry here?"

"No, I haven't seen him all day," I replied, not understanding the situation. I have never seen Emma this worried before.

"That can only mean he's at the mine," another voice interjected. I look over Emma's head to see Dr. Hopper standing there looking nervous.

"What mine? The one that collapsed today?"

"Yes, I fear he went there to-"

"Who cares why he went to the stupid mine!" I yelled at the man. "Let's go look for him before he gets into any trouble!"

Emma, Archie, Pongo, and I piled into the car as fast as we could. While we were in the car, Emma explained to me what happened. I said nothing the whole time, too nervous to talk. However, once we have Henry with us again, I'm going to give everyone a piece of my mind. Honestly, how can they allow that kid to act like this? He's a child but they allow him to do whatever he wants and it's becoming ridiculous.

When we arrived, all of us immediately raced out of the vehicle and toward the mine. As we searched for Henry, Archie's dog Pongo, found a chocolate bar near the entrance of the mine.

"He must have gone inside," I said, pointing the flashlight of my phone into the dark mine. "HENRY!"

Archie rushed inside the mouth of the mine, calling for Henry. Suddenly the ground began to shake beneath us. Archie was still inside the mine, and above him, the rock's began to crumble. Without wasting another moment, I ran forward and tackled the redhead to the ground. Behind me, the rocks fall to the ground leaving us in the dark.

"Great..."

"Alice," Dr. Hopper wheezed out. "I can't breath."

"Calm down, I'm not that fat," I complained. Once I got off of Dr. Hopper, I helped him to his feet.

"In any case, thank you, Alice." Dr. Hopper said once he caught his breath. "For a second there, I thought I was going to flatten by those rocks."

"Well, next time, don't do anything so stupid."

"I was trying to help Henry."

"And if I didn't push you out the way then what? By the way, if you wanted to help Henry, then don't tear out his heart. I can't believe you would listen to Regina instead of properly helping the boy."

"Should we be discussing that at the moment?"

"No," I answered. "But we will later. First things first, we look for Henry. Do you have a flashlight?"

As we walked through the tunnels of the mine, all I could think of is whether or not Henry was safe. If he had gotten injured, I don't think Emma would ever forgive herself for letting him out of her sight. I just hope everything turns out well for everyone involved.

The step I took should have led me closer to Henry. The next step should have brought me closer to safety. Instead, I heard a scream, and I was pushed to the side. I fell through a tunnel, and I tumbled down until I hit my head. The last thing I remember seeing is something shining in the distance.

* * *

_Tomorrow we fight against the Queen of Hearts. Tomorrow we figure out whether we live or die. But today we decide who will stand beside our Queen. The White Queen, and the rightful ruler of Wonderland, needs a champion. Someone to fight against the Jabberwocky, the Queen of Hearts Champion. The Jabberwocky is possibly the most powerful creature in the Wonderland. Only one person has been able to harm that creature, but we succumbed to his wounds long ago. _

_Who will wield the sword that will defeat the Jabberwocky? Who will lead the Army in the name of the White Queen? Who is worthy?_

_I look around and see my friends and family. In my heart, I know each one of us is worthy and capable of extraordinary things, yet do I want them to risk their lives in the upcoming battle? I have no doubt they can defend themselves in a fight but don't I want them to come so close to death. No, I want to protect them with every fiber in my being._

_"Will anyone be my Champion?"_

_"My Queen," I called out. "May I speak?"_

_With a simple nod of her head, I received my answer. Stepping forward, in front of the entire court, I knelt at the feet of my Queen looking at the floor. I have never before knelt at the feet of another willing. Bowed, of course, but to go on my knees, my pride would never allow it. However, the woman that stood before me today is worthy of everything I can possibly give her._

_"I am not worthy of praise nor the kindness you have given me. I have lived a long and tiresome life, but it was only until recently that I began to live again. For so long, I've been on the run to the point I became known as the bandit Alice, an enemy of the Queen of Hearts. Now I'm here, in your court, surrounded by family and friends. I have never been so happy before in my entire life, and I want to protect that happiness."_

_I finally face my Queen, staring into her beautiful pale green eyes that resemble peridot. She has granted me asylum here in her kingdom, along with her friendship. I will never forget that so long as I live._

_"I will slay the Jabberwocky in your name and defeat all of your foes. Allow me to fight for you and become your champion."_

_The smile on her face is one of pride and compassion. With a wave of her gloved hand, a sword appeared between us. It was a long sword with jewels along the blade. The handle has three metal bands that twist along an emerald to the top. Two other metal bands branch out to the side. Each point has a cone-like object attached to it. Altogether it's beautiful, the Vorpal Sword._

_"As of today, I name you, my champion Alice the white-... My Black Knight."_

_As soon as the sword lowered into my hands, my attire changed. I now wore black armor with a white lining. My hair which was once loose is now tied up into a long braid going down my back. I never felt so proud in my entire life._

_"Rise Alice-"_

* * *

I'm not sure how long I was unconscious, but when I came to, I noticed I was no longer with Dr. Hopper. I must have fallen through another tunnel. I take a moment to sit up and think about the dream I just had. The more I have, the clearer they become. I no longer forget many details, but the faces in my dreams are still blurry. Nevertheless, now is not the moment to dwell on that. I need to get to safety, and I also have to find the others. Getting up from the ground, the first thing I did is check for injuries. Finding none on my body other than a few scrapes, I focus on a way of climbing back out. When I look up from where I fell, I notice the ground is too steep to climb back up. I'll have to find another way.

Turning around, I begin to stumble through the dark tunnel to try and find a way out. I have nothing to light my way, so I wonder where the small source of light is coming from. As I continue walking, the source of light becomes brighter. Soon enough, I came to a dead-end, but what is at the end of the tunnel drew my attention the most.

There it is, the sword that I just dreamt of, the Vorpal Blade. It's embedded in the stone... I can't believe it's real. I must still be dreaming. How can this be?

I walked forward, grabbed the hilt of the sword, and pulled it from the stone. Just like in my dreams, the sword looks beautiful. There's no way I'm leaving it here. Wrapping it within my jacket, I tie the sword to my back. The moment I finished tying the sword onto my back, I felt another rumble. Soon enough the path behind me began to crumble just as the wall in front of me burst open. Left with no other choice, I started walking forward.

While I walked further into the dark tunnels, stumbling to find the others, I heard a noise. It was distant, but one that gave me hope. Quickly, yet carefully I sped forward until I found the source. It was Henry and Dr. Hopper, but they haven't seen me yet. I was going to announce my presence until I heard what the two were speaking of.

Henry is still angry at Archie, and the older man is trying but failing to fix the situation. Having heard enough, I stormed forward and spun Henry around to face me. Before either one of them could speak, I gave them a hard look that warned them to stay silent. Neither one dared to open their mouth after that. Finally, I focused my gaze on Henry.

"I heard what happened, and let me just say I am furious with you, Henry," I stated, but Henry, being displeased with what I just said, tried to speak. I cut him off before he could try. "No, Henry! What you're doing is downright stupid and dangerous. This mine is about to collapse on top of us. Henry, if it does, we will die. Do you understand?"

"Yes..."

"You are just a child who is way in over his head. I am tired of you doing things like this! If you want us to listen, then talk to us! Don't just throw a tantrum and run into a dangerous situation for no reason!"

"But-"

"No buts, I understand your reason behind this! Operation Cobra, right? Well, let me tell you something that may shock you, Henry, we're adults, so we don't believe in that crap. We have lived in the real world far longer than you have, so make-believe stuff is just that. Fake! But if you want to prove to us that this is real, then do so logically. Find evidence that doesn't put your life in danger. If not, then no one will listen to you, understand?"

"Yes, Alice, I understand."

"Good," I said as I brought the boy in for a hug. All of my worries are being poured into this one hug. I was so scared that something terrible would happen to the kid, but he's safe. At least for now, that is.

"Hey, Alice," Henry said as he pulled himself away from me. "Where did you get the sword?"

"SWORD?" Dr. Hopper panicked.

"Right, about that..."

Instead of answering the question, I diverted their attention to something else. Getting out of the mine alive. It was a bit difficult due to Henry's persistent inquiries, but I finally got him to focus on the task at hand. Still, I understood that eventually, I would have to answer all of their questions.

All of a sudden, Archie stopped walking. Confused as to why he stopped, Henry and I turned to look at him.

"Dr. Hopper, are you okay?" I asked.

"Do you hear that?"

Taking a moment to listen, I suddenly heard a dog barking. Wait, didn't Dr. Hopper bring his dog with him to the mine? Then that means-

"It's Pongo!" Henry yelled.

"Follow the noise!"

We kept running until we reached an elevator shaft. Seeing as this was the only chance we had in getting out, we all agreed to try it. All of us climbed on, being careful not to move too much. None of us were sure about how sturdy the old elevator is, and we didn't want to test our luck.

"Okay, let's see if this old thing still works," said Dr. Hopper.

I held Henry close to my chest as the Doctor turned the wheel of the elevator. Just as he did that an explosion could be heard in the distance. Suddenly we fell down a few levels. I held onto Henry as tightly as I could, praying that we would all make it out of here alive. After what felt an eternity, although I'm sure it was only a few seconds, we came to a stop.

"Are you two okay?" Dr. Hopper asked us from the other side of the elevator. The man looked deathly pale but, other than that, he was fine.

"Yes, Dr. Hopper, we're okay," I answered from my fallen position on the floor with Henry still in my arms. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," he answered.

"I'm really…really, really sorry," Henry suddenly said. The boy looked positively guilty for the whole situation. "I just wanted to find proof."

"You know, it's really alright, Henry," Dr. Hopper responded. "And um, um, I'm sorry, too. Look, I… I don't think you're crazy. I-I just… I just think you got a very strong mother, who's got a clear idea of a path that she wants you to be on and when you step off that she… She gets scared. And, you know, it's natural. But it's also natural for you to be able to be free to think the things that you want to think. So, anyway. I… I didn't mean those things I said, and I never should have said them."

"Then, why did you?" Henry asked the older man.

"I guess; I'm just not a very good person. I'm not the man I want to be."

"I think you can be him, I think you can be a good person. I mean, you're Jiminy Cricket."

"Henry, Jiminy Cricket was a… He was a cricket, okay? And he was a conscious. And… And I hardly think that's me."

"But before he was that, he was a guy who took a long time to figure out the right thing to do," Henry pointed out to him.

"That kind of sounds like me," Dr. Hopper agreed.

"Now it's harder for you because of the curse. To hear the voice inside of you. To be who you want to be."

As soon as Henry finished speaking, the elevator jerked again and moved farther down the shaft. I held onto Henry again, protecting him in the only way I could. Once the elevator came to another stop, I released him, but he refused to leave my side. That's fine with me.

"Alice?"

"Yes, Henry?"

"Where did you find the sword?"

I thought about it for a moment. I knew Henry would still be curious about the sword, but more than that he wanted a distraction from the situation we were in. Still, I didn't want to encourage Henry's delusions, but...

_The smile on her face is one of pride and compassion. With a wave of her gloved hand, a sword appeared between us. It was a long sword with jewels along the blade. The handle has three metal bands that twist along an emerald to the top. Two other metal bands branch out to the side. Each point has a cone-like object attached to it. Altogether it's beautiful, the Vorpal Sword._

_"As of today, I name you, my champion Alice the white-... My Black Knight."_

The sword in my dreams is out here in the real world with me. That can't be a coincidence. In that case, what do I say?

"I found it here in the mine when I got separated from Dr. Hopper. It was stuck inside of a boulder-"

"Is it Excalibur?" Henry asked, with his eyes open wide with wonder.

"No, it's not... it has another name, but I'll explain that later. I promise, but for now, can I ask you a question?"

"Um... okay."

"Why is this theory of yours so important to you?" I asked the child. Since meeting Henry, I never asked why he believed so strongly in his theory. But considering the dreams I keep having and the sword I just found, I need to know.

"I don't know..."

"Give it a shot," interjected Dr. Hopper. I guess I'm not the only one who wants to know why.

"Well," Henry started. "This can't be all there is. There has to be more, so I thought if I found proof... but I didn't find anything."

"Well, that's not true," The doctor said. "I was lost, and you found me, right?"

"You mean, you remember?" Henry asked excitedly.

"No, Henry. I… I don't remember, but I-I do remember the kind of person I want to be. I just got to listen harder."

A few rocks fell through the grate of the elevator, and when we looked up, a light was shining down on us. A second later, Emma's is slowly descending down with a rope attached to her. I've never been so happy to see my friend before in my entire life.

"You guys okay?" Emma yelled down at us.

"Yeah, don't worry, we're fine," I yelled back up to her. "Here, take Henry first.

I gave Henry to Archie so he could lift him up to Emma. Now, the problem is who is going next? Can Emma even take another person, or is she going to take multiple trips?

"Can you take another?" I asked the blonde.

"Yeah, who's next?"

Archie looked down at me with a small smile. He wanted me to go next. Without any room for discussion, the doctor grabbed me and lifted me into the air. Instead of arguing, I grabbed onto Emma's waist since she's carrying Henry in her arms. Abruptly the elevator began to shake.

"Archie?" I called down to the redhead.

"There's no time! It's going to fall!"

"I'm sorry!" Emma shouted to him.

"It's okay!" he reassured us. The elevator continued to shake, and there was no way we could save Archie. He's going to die...

Without any warning, the elevator falls down the shaft. I was sure it took Archie with it, but at the last moment, he saved himself. Using his umbrella, he hooked it onto Emma. We all survived.

When they finally pulled us out, the mayor rushed forward, pushing Emma out of the way. Instead of being grateful and thanking Emma for saving Henry, she orders her to clear the crowd. Emma was about to move until I grabbed her elbow and kept her in place. Letting go of my friend, I took two quick steps forward and grabbed Henry from Regina. I moved the boy closer to Emma and lightly shoved Regina back.

"Excuse you-"

"Shut it!" I screamed at her. "Emma just risked her life to save all of us due to a mistake you made. If you hadn't handled this whole situation poorly, this wouldn't be happening. You refuse to take responsibility, and you treat everyone horribly. Worst of all, you drive your own child to such extremes."

"I-"

"No, I'm taking the kid while you have a little chat with Dr. Hopper," I stated before grabbing both my friend and her son by the arms and pulling them away. "The nerve of that woman..."

"I'm a bit shocked," Emma added.

Finally, stopping a few feet away, I let go of the two. I turn to look at them, but the expression on my face must have frightened them because they both flinched. When I saw them do that, I couldn't help but laugh at the two.

"Sorry, it's just that-"

"It's fine, Al, but where did you get the sword?"

"Let's focus on something else," I whispered to my friend. "I'm a bit tired, and I prefer if you focus on what's important."

Excusing myself to give the duo some space to talk, I walk-off to another area. My head is beginning to hurt from today's events. Slowly I took the sword from behind my back and inspected it.

I don't even know what to make of this situation. The Vorpal sword. I heard of this particular sword before. It's in the Jabberwocky poem by Lewis Carroll. However, I didn't expect it to be real, let alone something I recognize. Not to mention what Henry told me the other day about a raven-haired Alice. The thing is that I didn't want to admit it at the time, but the character actually looked like me, and it shocked me. More than that, it felt normal, just like how this sword feels right within my grasp.

"Miss Thorn," a voice interrupted me from my thoughts. "That sword, I hear you found it down in the mines."

Looking up, I see none other than the Mayor staring at me. Unbothered by her gaze, I ignore her. I don't care about entertaining her or anyone else for that matter. I have way too much in my mind as it is.

"Well, you'll have to hand it over-"

"What?" I asked, finally paying attention to the older woman. She wore a smug smile on her face when she noticed the startled look on my own.

"That sword belongs to the town-"

"No, it doesn't, I found it!"

"What's going on here?" Emma asked. I didn't even notice a crowd forming around us. Emma, Henry, Archie, Pongo, and Marco surrounded us on all sides, with the Sheriff not too far behind.

"If your friend would ever let me finish speaking, I can explain what's going on," Regina replied tartly. "Dr. Hopper explained to me and Sheriff Graham that the sword in Miss Thorn's hands was found in the mine. The mine is the town's property meaning, so is that sword. She'll have to hand it over."

"NO!" I screeched. Not wanting to give her the satisfaction of seeing me in distress, I calm myself down before replying."I mean, no, you can't do that, right?"

"Actually she can," interjected the Sheriff. He stepped closer to me with his hand raised. "You'll have to hand that over, or I'll have to arrest you."

"Wait, you can't be serious," Emma asked them, but one look from her boss made her back down.

Throughout this entire exchange, I continue to feel worse. My heart is aching, my head is pounding, and I'm panicking. I don't want to give the sword up, but the last thing I want is to get thrown in jail... again. Especially when all I have to go on is a dream, but... I can't seem to let it go.

"Deputy, take the sword," Regina ordered. At that, my heart broke, since Regina is forcing my own best friend to take that which is mine. It's like she was rubbing salt in the metaphorical wound.

"You can't do this!" Henry yelled at his adoptive mother, but she ignored him and sent him to the car to wait for her.

"Deputy Swann, you serve the town, and I'm ordering you to retrieve that sword," Regina demanded. Emma looked at me with a sad expression as she grabbed my weapon. I held on to it nonetheless refusing to let go of something that held so many clues to my dreams, and maybe my forgotten past.

"Al, let go, it's just a stupid sword," Emma pleaded to me. Regretfully I did as she said and let go. I didn't bother staying; instead, I left all of them behind.

Emma tried to call me back, but I ignored her. At some point, I started to jog, then run, and finally sprint. I feel terrible, and I don't know why! I want to scream and cry at the same time, but I force myself to stay silent.

* * *

In the shop, Mr. Gold is currently fixing the cash register. He was trying to keep busy, but he couldn't focus. Alice still hadn't returned from the mines, and no one had called him with any updates on the situation. Is she alright?

Abruptly the door swung open, and Alice came bounding in. The young woman is covered in dirt and has scrapes all over her.

"Alice is-" before Gold could finish speaking, Alice ran around the counter to hug him. Once she was in his arms, she began to cry. Gold silently led her to the back room and sat her down on a sofa as he held her. The two stayed like that for some time. Gold never pushed her to speak about what upset her, but he would find out by any means necessary. When Alice finally stopped crying, he ordered some food for them to eat and began tending to her wounds. Once the woman was cleaned and fed, he began questioning her about what happened.

She explained what had transpired since she left the shop. Including how she found a sword in the mines, but the mayor confiscated it. Threaten to imprison her if she didn't cooperate.

"But Alice, I don't understand why this sword means so much to you," stated Mr. Gold. Because in all honesty, what does this weapon have to do with her.

"I can't explain why, but I feel like I'm connected to it," Alice wept. "And when Regina took it, she took a part of me with it."

Gold kept silent as Alice continued to cry. In all honesty, he was still shocked that not only is Alice crying, but she came to him of all people. For some reason, unbeknownst to him, he cared for the girl. She reminded him of someone he cared for long ago. It wasn't Belle, that was for sure, but... now he knew who. He should have seen the connection between the two sooner, but that hardly mattered anymore.

"Alice, my dear, I know you are upset, but all will be well, I swear." Gold tried to reassure her. The young woman looked him in the eye, and he could have sworn that his heart broke. He would make this right for her sake. It was time to visit the Evil Queen.

After walking Alice home, he decided to make a late-night stop at the Mills' household. Once there, he knocked on the door thrice and waited for someone to answer. Henry opened the door, and the boy was surprised to see him there, but that didn't bother him. The boy invited him inside as he went to fetch his mother for the older man. When Henry announced that his mother is in her private study, waiting for him. Not needing anything further from the child, he bid him farewell and left him where he was standing.

When he entered the study, he closed the door behind him and sat on the opposite side of Regina. The only thing separating them is her desk. Regina did not bother to look up as she continued to write, but that did not bother the man one bit.

"Are you going to tell me why you're here, or do you find pleasure in occupying space you are not wanted in?" Regina asked him as she finally stopped working to look at him. Whenever Gold came to visit, it never meant good news for her.

"Yes, I heard about the incident at the mine today," Gold began, choosing his words carefully. "I was simply wondering if there is anything I can do to help?"

"Why?"

"Why?" Gold laughed at the woman. "Well, to take the problem off your hands. The mines pose a hazard to everyone involved, why not destroy them?"

"What's in it for you?" Regina inquired. "Because I doubt you would do this out of the goodness of your heart."

"All I ask in return is for the sword that was found in those mines," Gold answered. He held a calm demeanor as he spoke, but the Queen knew better than to trust him. She wasn't sure if he remembered his past life as Rumplestilskin, but that didn't matter. The man in front of her today is just as much of a nuisance as his previous incarnation.

"For what reason would you need a rusty old sword?"

"It may be worth quite a bit of money being a relic of our little towns past."

"As if you care about that when you own most of the property in this town."

"And I would like to keep it that way."

"By swinging a sword around?"

"By being the richest man around."

The two found themselves at an impasse. Neither one of the two gaining a lead in the conversation, but both refused to back down. Regina would prefer if Gold handled the mines. However, the fact that he's asking for the chance, along with the sword, is bothering her. He had to have a hidden motive behind it that she needs to figure out before handing over the metaphorical key.

That sword has caused her more problems than she would have liked. No matter how many times she tried to destroy the darn thing, it would come out unscathed. The previous user, Cyrus, claimed it belonged to his long lost love. At least that was the rumor she heard. Speaking of which...

"How did you hear about the sword?" Regina asked. Although the older man held his composure, she knew she struck gold.

"A little birdie told me."

"A birdie, or a rabbit?" Regina smirked. "It was Alice, wasn't it?"

"The girl has nothing to do-"

"DON'T lie to me Gold, I know she told you. I just don't understand why you care."

Silence reigned between the two before Gold asked, "Do we have a deal?"

"No." Regina smiled at the older man, her unmerciful dark eyes denying him of his wish. She was about to say something until she noticed the look in his eyes. It wasn't one of disappointment or annoyance, but humor.

"Very well, then please give me the sword." Gold said with a smile of his own. He didn't want to resort to this, but he had no choice. For one it may lead to Regina finding out about the truth to his recovered memories. Lastly, it's true he wanted the sword, but he would have liked to obtain the mines as well. It could have been useful in the future; however, that was not his goal. And as far as Gold is concerned, he won this round whether Regina liked it or not.

* * *

I hope you guys liked the latest update. Leave a comment or feel free to message me with any questions you may have. By the way, the next chapter will be a combination of episodes 6,7,&8. Also, there will be a huge dive into Alice and her past! Until next time, Bye!


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